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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27896014">Emissary</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustJim/pseuds/JustJim'>JustJim</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Useless_girl/pseuds/Useless_girl'>Useless_girl</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Home Is Where the Spark Is [19]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Teen Wolf (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aged up characters, Alpha Derek, Anal Sex, Anger, Betrayal, Bottom Stiles, Detective Stiles, Emissary in Training Stiles, Emotions, Epic Romance, Fighting, Hurt/Comfort, Love, M/M, Magic, Magic Stiles, Oral Sex, PTSD, Past Abuse, Rough Sex, Sarcasm, Secrets, Slash, Smut, Soulmates, Spark Stiles, Supernatural - Freeform, Top Derek, Werewolf Lore, Werewolves, Wit, canon and non-canon elements, emissary bond, emissary lore, emissary stiles, m/m - Freeform, mate bond, matured Stiles, past trauma, post-Teen Wolf, sex toy, sterek</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 17:07:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>41,227</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27896014</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustJim/pseuds/JustJim, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Useless_girl/pseuds/Useless_girl</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The mates finally manage to track down the hostile alpha and are preparing to confront him and work as a unit to drive the intruders out of Beacon Hills. But along the way there are some things uncovered that they will have to deal with. Rather sooner than later.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Home Is Where the Spark Is [19]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1607563</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. 19: Emissary - Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>Note:</strong> This is the 19th part of the “<a href="https://archiveofourown.org/series/1607563">Home Is Where the Spark Is</a>” series. To understand better what’s going on, we recommend reading the previous entries. Enjoy!</p><p><strong>Fandoms: </strong>Teen Wolf, Sterek</p><p><strong>Characters/relationships:</strong> Stiles Stilinski/Derek Hale, Alan Deaton (mentioned), Marin Morrell (mentioned), original characters</p><p><strong>Rating/category: </strong>supernatural, post-Teen Wolf, canon and non-canon elements, slash, M/M, Sterek, aged up characters, Spark Stiles, Magic Stiles, Emissary Stiles, Emissary in training Stiles, detective Stiles, matured Stiles, Alpha Derek, epic romance, love, magic, soulmates, Mate bond, Emissary bond, werewolves, past trauma, past abuse, hurt/comfort, emotions, fighting, betrayal, PTSD, anger, werewolf lore, emissary lore, secrets, wit, sarcasm, smut, oral sex, anal sex, rough sex, sex toy, top Derek, bottom Stiles</p><p><strong>Summary:</strong> The mates finally manage to track down the hostile alpha and are preparing to confront him and work as a unit to drive the intruders out of Beacon Hills. But along the way there are some things uncovered that they will have to deal with. Rather sooner than later.</p><p><strong>Disclaimer:</strong> This is a product of our imagination and was written only for entertainment and fun. We don’t profit from this fanfiction and we mean no harm or disrespect against any real person, culture or custom that might appear in the story. All original pictures or edits and fictional characters used in the story belong to their respective owners and credit goes to them.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <br/>
<em> <a href="https://justjimedits.tumblr.com/post/614698468168089600">Just Jim edit</a> </em>
</p><p><strong>Home Is Where the Spark Is<br/>
</strong> <em>By Just Jim &amp; Useless-girl</em></p><p>
  <strong>19: Emissary – Part 1</strong>
</p><p>As much as the couple had enjoyed spending their time together to heal and get reacquainted with their bodies, there was work to be done, a lot of work. They had picked up the boxes the next day with the items scavenged, and as interesting the old Hale magical book was to Stiles, it had to wait to delve into fully, now that they had found a way to confront Zepar. They weren’t half-assing it, they had gone back to the abandoned distillery for a few days through the vault to get the training Derek needed. The alpha didn’t want to take chances and assume that the one time was enough to battle against an ancient werewolf who had gotten so used to magic that he was practically breathing it.<br/>
<br/>
Honestly, their search had only raised more questions in them. Why was the Hale symbol on a bag of the Stilinski attic? Why was the book in the vault a book only Stiles could open and read? What did it mean that there had been a Spark in Derek’s family as well? There was more going on here, and they most likely were held accountable for things which had happened in the past. Derek still felt that this was all a setup. That Stiles was meant to become a Darach, not to do evil, but to do good and that’s why they were tested. They had to get to the Druid Council and get answers. There was only one way to do that though, and it was through Zepar himself. Before they would be thrust in yet another test, before others would get in harm’s way to see how Stiles would be able to hold himself together. Derek could think of various ways to break them into insanity which wouldn’t cost him his life, but it would cost Noah’s life, possible Beth’s.<br/>
<br/>
The Druid Council had proven themselves to care about the balance of magic and the Nemeton, not the balance of lives. If Derek was right with his theory, then all the innocent lives Jennifer had taken had been part of her test of the Council. And they had never once decided to concern themselves with the alpha pack, nor the way the Beacon Hills pack back then had struggled with the Darach and Deucalion. What was worse, they knowingly were fine with Jennifer killing, with her using her magic to ensnare Derek. Needlessly to say, the Hale wasn’t a fan at all.<br/>
<br/>
So the current plan was to figure out where Zepar was, and pay him a surprise visit, make him take them to meet with whoever was leading the Council. They had a right to talk about what was going on, to handle this without more bloodshed. Well, a little bloodshed because Derek was going to make Zepar bleed, he was <strong><em>owed</em></strong> that much. Then they could delve into the Hale book and the box from the attic, and the whole fact there was a traitor in their midst relaying information to the Council.</p><p>And cake tasting. Because could they at least have that much in preparation for their wedding? Derek didn’t have a suit yet, but he designed the invitations and they had been sent out. He had made sure to ask his best friend to be his best man, had gotten the paperwork in order, had gotten them a minister of sorts. Stiles had made sure they could have the wedding party in the backyard of the Stilinski home and gotten them a catering order since there weren’t going to be many people there. Still, it was almost a month away, they had done very little together.<br/>
<br/>
“Stiles! Can you stop sending your magic my way? The runes are itching,” Derek grumbled at his mate who was brimming with way too much magic in order to take down the alpha.</p><p>"Oh... sorry," Stiles looked up from the kitchen table which was cleared off so he could spread out a big map of Beacon Hills and the Preserve. He had no idea that the magic was doing that to his mate so he concentrated a bit on pulling it back to stop the itching of the runes.<br/>
<br/>
Looking back down on the map with the crystal Derek had given him in the vault dangling from its chain in his hand, Stiles huffed. "The kind of tracking spells that would only require a cleansed crystal like this aren't working. I'll have to bring out some bigger guns," he explained. He was after like half an hour of dangling the crystal over the map in hopes of using his concentration and magic to make it zero in on Zepar's location. "He is definitely using some kind of a cloaking spell either on him or the place where he stays and that's why I can't find him."<br/>
<br/>
Putting the crystal down, he flipped open one of his emissary books and ran a long finger through a few pages before he found the right spell and tapped against the page, murmuring more to himself. There were some vials of strangely colored liquids and ground up spices in glass bottles as well as the old mortar from his mom's trunk. For a moment Stiles' hand hesitated over the small bag with the Triskele and rune stones in it before he listened to his instincts and busied himself with tossing pinches of the ground up herbs in the mortar, checking on the book as he went along.<br/>
<br/>
It was crucial for their next step to find and surprise the hostile alpha and he felt the pressure to do so. Which in turn made his magic act up a bit and Stiles was more restless than usual.<br/>
<br/>
"I can't fail with this. We have to find him and teach him a lesson before we extract some information from him. We have to use our element of surprise." Hence the drawn together curtains in the kitchen so no spy could guess what they were doing.</p><p>Derek had been skeptical when Stiles had insisted on putting some kind of curtains to the door in the kitchen leading to the stone balcony, the door he himself had installed and had picked because it was glass and black metal. It was a good looking door fitting the loft, so he hadn't understood why there had to be a curtain in the corner to use to hide the door. Derek wasn't the curtain kind of guy but now, when they were being watched, he had to admit curtains were actually useful. At least Stiles didn't throw him an 'I told you so' besides a knowing look when the curtain had been drawn.<br/>
<br/>
"If you can't find him, we'll find another way. It's not a failure if you don't." There was always another way, it just meant they hadn't found it yet. He didn't want Stiles to think this was all on him, when it wasn't. It was a good plan sure, but that didn't mean they wouldn't come up with other good plans. Like draw him out even though that would mean they'd lose the element of surprise. Derek had seen the glance to the <em>seidr</em> stones in the bag, but he was glad it wasn't used. It was a different kind of magic they knew too little about.<br/>
<br/>
The alpha didn't like how it had been hidden away in a wooden chest werewolves couldn't touch, because it meant it was of significance. Currently, he was doing nothing helpful, he stayed out of the way and observed as their kitchen table had turned into a scene right out of Harry Potter. It was useful, having a spell that hid people, one Derek was going to ask Stiles to look into in the near future. "Is there anything I can do to help?"</p><p>Stiles just snorted on the 'not a failure' comment but didn't get into a lengthy monologue on how it'd feel like that to him. After all he was the druid and Emissary here, he had to be able to perform such basic spells like finding someone hidden by magic. Even if there was a twist in this case when it came to Zepar, thanks to the magic that protected him. But Stiles kinda got a taste of said magic and he believed he'd be able to locate such a magical disturbance in their territory, no matter how small said disturbance might be. Well, some more practice in tracking someone like that would've been good, but they worked with what they had.<br/>
<br/>
"You can give me your finger so I can draw a few drops of your wolf-blood if you don't want me to accidentally cut off mine with my mom's ritual blade..." he half-joked, holding up said blade which was indeed bigger than the one Stiles used before. But it felt... right in his hand. Like it belonged there. He could kinda feel the power pulsing in it.<br/>
<br/>
First it was weird touching the objects from that trunk, but by then... that has started to change. As if the contents of that trunk were talking to him. Or rather resonating with the magic in him. Which was probably the case, but he was going to look more into that. And soon.<br/>
<br/>
All ingredients were in the mortar, only the blood was missing by then and Stiles looked at his mate questioningly.</p><p>"Sure, at least when mine comes off, we can attach it again," came the deadpan sarcasm as Derek eyed the large blade which looked more like it was made to cut into arms instead of fingers, especially in the human's hand. Stiles was good at using his gun, better than Derek was. If anything, Derek sucked at it so yeah, he'd trust the other with that without blinking. But knives? Those were a whole other caliber of weapon. It was progress for Stiles to ask for his finger though, so he took what he could get instead of ending up in the ER with the tip of a finger in a bag of ice.<br/>
<br/>
"Or maybe you can use the palm of my hand seeing as I'm not sure how good you are at stitching my finger back on." Derek had anesthetic, he could numb it all up, even for a werewolf, and Stiles could go to town but... avoiding all that hassle would be preferable. It would take time to get it all done.<br/>
<br/>
And it wasn't the first time he provided blood when there was blood needed for spells, non-specific blood, Stiles would use Derek’s since he healed the cut almost right away. Blood magic was powerful, this kind of magic needed it as sacrifice. At least it didn't need animal sacrifices. Derek knew how that would go, Stiles wouldn't be able to slit some bunny's throat or gut it and they'd end up with even more pets. Because Stiles knew Derek would let him too.</p><p>Stiles gave Derek an exasperated sigh and eye-roll to that and waved Derek closer. "Well, let's hope it won't get to that. I get a bit queasy from too much blood and reattaching lost limbs..." he shot back on a sarcastic tone but flashed a small smile at his mate.<br/>
<br/>
Then he simply took Derek's hand to lead it over the bowl and carefully cut his finger with the tip of the surprisingly sharp blade. He counted the ten drops of blood as they fell into the bowl then lifted the bleeding finger to his mouth to lick it off. It came off as if he did it without paying much attention but it was actually a requirement of the spell. Using Derek's wolf blood was also something that both helped to locate another wolf and amplified the spell because his blood was fused with Stiles' magic.<br/>
<br/>
After letting the already healed finger slide out of his mouth, he used the tip of the blade to mix the ingredients together and started chanting the words of the spell. Once he was done with that, he put the blade down on the table and dipped the pointy end of the crystal into the mix.<br/>
<br/>
As he let it dangle from its chain and moved it over the center of the map again, the blood curiously didn't drip on the paper. It seemed to stuck to the stone, defying gravity.<br/>
<br/>
Then he steadied his hand and took a deep breath before he began slowly moving the crystal over the map. It was a game of patience and concentration, picturing Zepar in his head as he was working on ruling out the different areas, his eyes and fingers glowing in amber.<br/>
<br/>
"I'm supposed to feel the crystal being drawn to the right spot and it should start swinging in a circle when I get close," he informed Derek but didn't take his glowing eyes off the map and the crystal.</p><p>Even a general area of where they were supposed to look would help, because Derek couldn't use his nose to track the alpha, he was able to hide his scent. That didn't mean sight and hearing wasn't going to work. Even if he was hiding in a crowded area, they would comb through it slowly and carefully to get the results they needed. It was about time they were able to turn it around on Zepar, who had been able to take them by surprise twice now, resulting in them not going anywhere by themselves anymore. And being away from Beth to keep her safe. This had to end.<br/>
<br/>
But there was no blame if this didn't work, Stiles was still learning, he couldn't know everything yet. Nor was he going to get everything right at first try, something the human refused to acknowledge because he took his role as Emissary to the small pack very seriously.<br/>
<br/>
"So why wouldn't this work on getting to whoever is leading all these attacks?" Derek was all for giving the smug alpha a beat down, eagerly even, but in the end he had been another pawn in a ploy. It would be more satisfactory to go after the one who had ordered it in the first place.</p><p>Stiles thought his reply through while he continued moving the crystal over the map. No results yet. Which was kinda frustrating, but he knew he had to be patient since this kind of spell might need some time to take hold.<br/>
<br/>
"I believe because the 'Leader' is a very strong druid. I had a taste of their power through Zepar, because it's fused with him. It should probably be enough knowing the resonance of that magic to track down a weaker druid, but this one is good. Maybe even specialized in covering their tracks and that's why the magic on Zepar gives him that ability too since he's using this 'Leader's' magic..." he mused. "Also, this spell requires of the caster to know the name and face of the one you want to track. We know the name and that smug mug of Zepar so I can focus on his face while doing this spell. We don't know how this 'Leader' looks like or what their real name is. It's a little bit like Nightcrawler in the X-Men movies. He needs to know the place where he wants to teleport, otherwise he could fall off a cliff or something. In my case if I tried to track this 'Leader' without the required information, I might get too sucked in and get lost in the magic or get false results. Not to mention that even if I somehow managed to take a peek of their whereabouts, they might notice me and repel me and my magic, which could be damaging to me on a mental and spiritual level," he explained then paused, humming to himself.<br/>
<br/>
"It seems he isn't anywhere in town so let's try moving to the surrounding areas," the emissary murmured and concentrated more since their options and chance of success were narrowing down rapidly, so he also strengthened his belief that they could find him.</p><p>Right, so that was a no. Derek nodded to the explanation, having the ability to pick from Stiles' long rants what information he needed. It was always remarkable how that busy brain worked, how much was going on in there which showed when there were those long talks. These tracking spells meant they had to know what to track or Stiles would get lost, which would be a bad thing, especially considering the power the one had they were, ultimately, up against.<br/>
<br/>
Quietly he watched his mate do his thing, to see if he could find Zepar, and crossed his arms as he leaned back. In situations like these he wasn't much of a talker, didn't want to distract from the task at hand. One that wasn't as easy as it had seemed when the human had suggested it. Maybe there were better ways, but that would mean contacting Deaton and that wasn't something they were going to do. As long as they didn't know who had relayed all the information, nobody outside the pack was to be trusted.<br/>
<br/>
Deaton had helped them a lot over the years, to think he'd be the one was... not a good thought. The thing with druids was the fact they always had a hidden agenda and they didn't know how infested they were in keeping the 'order' of things. Whatever that might mean.</p><p>Stiles wasn't surprised about not getting any response from Derek. He was very used to that by that point, plus he could feel that the wolf understood his explanation. So instead he focused on the task literally at hand and continued with his concentration. After a while he began muttering to himself. It wasn't really clear what he was saying as it could come off as gibberish. In fact, it was that strange language from the black book. The one Stiles had never heard of or studied and was surprised that he was able to read it fluently in the book. But it seemed it was ingrained deeper into him than one might expect. Not that he noticed that he was using it.<br/>
<br/>
But it seemed the murmuring was perhaps helping, because he felt a light pull in his arm, wanting to guide his hand to the left. Experimentally, he went with it and his glowing eyes widened for a split second as the crystal finally moved on its own for the first time.<br/>
<br/>
Leaning a bit more over the table, he watched it begin to draw an even circle in the air. Slowly at first then getting a bit faster as the circle began narrowing down. Excitement flooded the Spark as he slowly moved his hand towards the western outskirts of town where some weekend houses were situated at the edge of the Preserve and town with a pretty view on the latter.<br/>
<br/>
Holding his breath back, he felt the magic zing down through the chain that connected him to the crystal and the stone suddenly stopped over a spot, a single drop of the bloody mixture dropping onto the paper.<br/>
<br/>
"Think this is it! Think we found him!!" he sputtered and focused on ending the spell before putting the crystal down to the side, eyes never leaving the spot. "That sly wolf... He picked a good place. Remote enough not to have many around, but also close enough to town and running along the edges of the Preserve to move fast and undetected," he patted the tip of his long index-finger against the map near the mark.</p><p>With how much effort Stiles had put into this, it had to be it, there was no way it wasn't the spot they had to get at. It wasn't that far from the town, not that distances meant much to werewolves, let alone alphas or the ones like Derek who could shift into a full wolf. A car was slower since it had to deal with the established roads and the things which slowed it down; while in a remote area like Beacon Hills, there was a lot of short cuts. In all likelihood, the area was going to be warded and they wouldn't have much of a drop on him with their scents and heartbeats.<br/>
<br/>
"Plenty of trees and animals to somewhat hide us but he's old enough to pick us out of all that." Remote meant nobody around. It complicated their stealth approach considerably. Not even shifting into his wolf form would help. Derek smelled like wolf and there were no wolves here in this part of California, not many. So it would still alert Zepar. “So unless you know how to teleport us like Nightcrawler, we are going to need to make a scent blocker."<br/>
<br/>
Derek hated those, because they were offensive to a werewolf with how important scents were to them. But this was for a good cause so he'd make do with them. Anything to get the drop on Zepar. Them arriving there would be unexpected already but completely useless unless they'd get close enough without being noticed.</p><p>Stiles snorted and finally glimpsed up at his mate, straightening up over the map to fold his arms in front of his chest. The magic was pulling back, leaving his fingers and eyes look normal again. "Unfortunately, I'm not on the level yet to open portals like Dr. Strange. But never say never," he rolled his eyes and grinned before patting his chin with his fingertips, lost in thought for a moment, his mind running a mile a minute as usual.<br/>
<br/>
"Lucky for us, though, I thought about the need to cover our presence and scents and I am on the level where that should be possible. The presence part we had practiced with Deaton before and last night I did study stealth tactics that can come in handy to confuse a wolf's sensitive nose," he reached up to gently boop Derek's nose. "Yay for not being able to sleep in the middle of the night?" he snorted and slid his hand down onto Derek's warm chest for physical contact. "Don't worry, the ward and potion I'll use on us won't influence your werewolfy senses. The base of the potion had enough time until now to be ready for the next steps I have to do with it. I'll need like an hour to finish it in the greenhouse. Then we can pull up a more detailed map on my laptop and talk about our strategy," he lightly patted Derek's chest and beamed up at him. "See? Having an emissary and druid as your mate can be quite useful..."</p><p>Derek wasn't sure what to think of it all… the way Stiles seemed to pick up everything so easily, as if he had all these powers and spells to himself for years already. As if it was all something that came so naturally. Usually when that happened, there was going to be something happening to balance it. That much gift and power in one body wasn't good, and he didn't think Stiles even saw it. Jennifer would be influenced by healing, it had tired her out enough for them all to take advantage of it. It seemed with Stiles, they could only overload him into an explosion. It made the wolf see that the Druid Council might have a good point, even though their execution to make it happen sucked.<br/>
<br/>
"Yeah…" Derek agreed quietly, knowing he couldn't let his doubts show, not when they had but an hour to get ready for the fight they had been training for. So instead he kissed that beaming face and smacked him on the ass. "Go get ready while I put on some clothes I don't mind losing." It was a given he was going to end up with ruined clothes and now that he had time, it was nice to, for once, not lose the good stuff.<br/>
<br/>
"Ohhh!" Stiles giggled from the slap on his ass and sent Derek a dirty smirk. "Losing clothes. That's something I usually like to hear... in a different situation, of course, but yeaaaahhh...." he grinned. He was quite riled up from the magic and the successful tracking spell. Maybe tonight they will be able to finally put an end to the careful way they had to live lately and the separation from Beth. It was high time, because both of them were fed up with these precautions and being watched all the time.<br/>
<br/>
"So you need anything to take with you? If I have an hour, I might as well make sure we have everything we need." Instead of brooding the entire time.</p><p>"Hm... I was thinking that I might take that amazing carved bat you gave me. I already spelled it, but I doubt you can touch it without gloves since it's carved from a rowan tree. Otherwise I'll take my gun with wolfsbane bullets just to make sure. And some mountain ash to trap him. And I expect the place to be warded so I'll have to do some ward-breaking without alerting him. That'll be a bit tricky but I don't need anything else for that just my magic..." he mused. "So... nope, you just change your clothes and wait for me while being sexy," Stiles grinned and rolled onto his tiptoes to kiss Derek. "And most importantly... don't get too injured tonight. I have plans with you after we defeat this asshat," he whispered onto the soft lips before licking between them. The magic was in balance, but that didn't mean they weren't drawn to each other most of the time.<br/>
<br/>
And with that Stiles waltzed towards the spiral staircase, glimpsing back at his wolf with a promising little smirk on his face before climbing upstairs.</p><p>Yeah, even with gloves Derek wouldn't be able to pick up the bat. He was still training to handle the mountain ash with his fingers, let alone be able to handle a bat magically spelled to harm werewolves. So yeah, Stiles had a point about him not able to pack or help much. At the little smirk thrown at him, Derek smiled back and moved to get his shirt off, giving a glimpse of flesh to his mate before he moved to bedroom to put on some old jeans and t-shirt. It didn't take him long, it wasn't like he had a lot of clothes to begin with, and five minutes later he had an hour to kill.<br/>
<br/>
He spent it cleaning up the kitchen table and packing all the used herbs for Stiles back in the jars they were supposed to go into. Derek had made a tray from wood where the jars fit in without sliding off when carrying it, to make it easier for the human with all the stairs here. He cleaned up the map and the potion used. He even knew how to cleanse the crystal without influencing it with negative energy. Another fifteen minutes passed.<br/>
<br/>
Using the map's coordinates, he pulled up Google Maps to see if he could get a closer look at the area. Unfortunately, only the town had been made virtual to walk through but the cabins were rented out and the website had many pictures posted for possible guests to see the inside of them and the area they'd be renting. And that made it way easier to know what they'd be dealing with. The cabins were all different, so they didn't know fully what the one was called Zepar was using since the website didn't post the exact locations. He was pretty sure Stiles would be able to find more pictures for them, maybe guests who had been there had posted on Instagram or whatever was used these days. Derek wasn't into social media, didn't follow all the hypes like TikTok and all that kind of idiocy. The falseness of all those media wasn't something he was up for.</p><p>Meanwhile upstairs in the greenhouse Stiles was working on finishing the potion which was going to hide their scents and presence temporarily. He followed the instructions closely to make it work perfectly. It was the first time he did something like this but his potions usually came out right for the first try, thanks to being the perfectionist he is with attention to details. With his ADHD mind it was refreshing to discover that studying herbs and brewing potions and concoctions and performing spells proved to help him focus, which has always been hard with his brain condition.<br/>
<br/>
Smiling satisfied when the thick potion took up the described muddy green color, he distilled it, letting it drip into two small glass bottles. Letting it rest a bit, he quickly cleaned up. He was confident it was going to work. After closing the bottles, he quickly re-read some marked spells in the leather-bound note book he had started back when Deaton had invited him to their first practice. His collection of the spells and runes and useful information has been growing in separate entries. He knew witches had such spell books too and his was showing his progress, which in turn made Stiles proud. He was far from the vulnerable and (in his opinion) often useless human he used to be.<br/>
<br/>
Satisfied, he rejoined Derek downstairs by his laptop. "Okay, gorgeous. What have you found?" he asked, putting the bottles on the table and stroked the wolf's back, pressing a small kiss against his cheek. Stiles was starting to buzz with restless energy because of their task ahead.</p><p>"I dug up some photos of the area so we're not going in fully blind. And I've called the company of the cabins to see if there's more in use at the moment. Which there are. Our heart beats won't raise immediate suspicion when we're in the area." It also made it harder, of course, noise-wise when fighting Zepar but that was a problem for later. Noah and Parrish had been made aware of the fact there might be some noise complaints coming in. "It means we have to be careful."<br/>
<br/>
And careful wasn't exactly their middle name. Derek would destroy property easily due to his strength in a fight, he roared and howled and Stiles was a spaz, so they were both elephants trampling their ways in a fight. Outside of fights, Derek was a silent creeper, nobody would notice him if he didn't want them to.<br/>
<br/>
"I didn't grab your weapons, because your bat doesn't like me even with gloves. Obviously I'm not worthy."</p><p>Stiles snorted from the obvious Thor reference, his smile widening. "God, I love it so much that you are a huge geek like me..." he sighed dreamily, drinking in the details of Derek's face for the thousandth time. He couldn't wait for all this to be over and just be able to snuggle his mate for a nice kissing session which might lead to more or to sleep. Either option was something Stiles would be very happy with at this point. He might be buzzing with energy to get this hunt going, but they were both kinda in a constant state of mental (and sometimes physical) exhaustion. It had to end and Stiles had to finally focus on taking better care of himself too. He didn't want Derek to marry a skeleton. Okay, that was quite the exaggeration but yeah...<br/>
<br/>
"Otherwise great job. You'd make a fine detective," Stiles said as he teasingly bumped his shoulder against the wolf's and leaned closer to the screen to study the layout of the land and review the pictures. "There are a few good areas to hide until we find the right cabin. Your sensitive nose will come handy again in that. Dunno if you'll be able to catch his smell, but maybe I get lucky with the traces of magic. I should be able to pick up on that now that I know how it feels. And if there are protective wards set up then that'll be a big clue too that we are at the right place," he mused, absently putting a hand on Derek's thigh to rub it reassuringly.</p><p>As much as he didn't doubt how well his nose worked, Derek wasn't going to count on it. "It wasn't working when he was skulking around and watching us so he probably hid his scent." All this time when Stiles had felt watched and there had been reports of a wolf around Beacon Hills, Derek had not once caught on the alpha, not by scent and not by tracks. Zepar knew well how to keep hiding himself, even from a born wolf. It would be useful if Derek could, but he was counting on it being a no.<br/>
<br/>
And if Stiles couldn't sense the magic either, it wouldn't take too long to find the right cabin since there were only a handful of them. If their supernatural senses weren't working, then they were going to have to do it the old fashioned human way. Like the detective Stiles said he'd make. Because he'd make a terrible detective, it made him snort. Derek Hale wouldn't be able to deal with all the rules of law enforcement. He'd get himself fired within the year probably.<br/>
<br/>
"We'll use our eyes and ears and we'll find him. Not worried about that." Nope. It was the fight he was concerned with, they had trained, they were prepared, but that didn't mean it wasn't dangerous. Stiles could get seriously hurt.</p><p>"Stop worrying so much about me," Stiles rolled his eyes and glimpsed up from the screen, hand squeezing Derek's thigh again. Obviously Derek couldn't hide his feelings and Stiles was able to subconsciously pick up on fragments of his thoughts because they were perfectly balanced and very tuned on each other now. In the last few days they made sure to make that happen and maintain this state. "I'll be fine. I'd like it better if you worried a bit more about your own well-being and don't let these worries hold you back during the fight. We can both protect ourselves and each other now. We both know that the runes work and will be able to protect you if needed," he said with a serious yet calm expression. Yes, Stiles believed in their success because they both wanted it.<br/>
<br/>
"Intention is very important to a pair like us. After all, you are bound to a druid whose magic mostly operates on that. A fight is probably inevitable, but if there's a chance, try not to kill him too fast. We need to extract information from him. After all, he's just a pawn. We need to deal with the source to put a stop on their intrusion and stupid tests."</p><p>Derek wasn't worried about himself because he was a good fighter, had excellent healing and was also protected by the wards now. As long as he was able to concentrate on it. It wasn't foul proof and in a way it made sense, it would make them too powerful if there was no way to defeat them. Stiles, with all his magic, was still very much human and he could get drained with what they were planning to do.</p><p>"You worry about me and I worry about you, the circle completed." It was a light tease, and he closed the laptop, they weren't going to need that.<br/>
<br/>
"I don't want to kill Zepar, but that's up to him in the end." Want and have to were two completely different things. Derek wasn't a killer but he was aware that he was going to have to end lives to protect others. Something he had always done, and always regretted. The Hale would do what was needed, no matter how he personally felt about it, because the greater good was more important. So if Zepar forced their hand, then yeah, ending his life was a possibility. "Werewolves are getting too rare to let such an old alpha die." Bitten wolves weren't extinct, plenty of those around but born ones? Older born ones? There were so few these days, few enough for Derek to be considered special, same as Zepar, but Derek was a youngster compared to him. A kid when it came to age.<br/>
<br/>
Their knowledge was of importance, same as Satomi's had been. And the more born wolves there were, the less hunted Derek would become.</p><p>"I agree. If we can avoid killing him then we should," Stiles agreed. He knew about how rare born wolves have become and he wasn't really fond of the idea of killing others in general, especially if it was someone from such a now rare breed.<br/>
<br/>
He leaned in to press a soft kiss against Derek's lips then sighed and got up. "Okay, so we are pretty much going to improvise once on the site. We get there, try to locate Zepar then corner and incapacitate him," he said as he uncorked the bottles. "These will give us like three hours to cover our scents. It'll give us plenty of time to find him. Then once he is unable to fight us, we'll interrogate him. Hopefully," he said and raised his small glass bottle as if a cheer and downed its content.<br/>
<br/>
"I'm gonna get my bat and gun and then we can go," he announced as he put the empty bottle down, making some faces from the taste then went to retreat said items. He tucked the gun behind his back and picked up the bat, swinging it in the air once. Obviously familiar with its weight and dimensions. "Ready when you are."</p><p>"Can you at least learn to make these potions drinkable?" Derek's face said how much he didn't enjoy the taste of this latest concoction. None of the potions so far had been pleasant to drink. But maybe a hint of vanilla would influence the potion so nothing else could be used. Which was a shame, since all the potions were a contender for vilest drink ever made. It was worse for a werewolf with how even their taste was heightened. It was useful if Derek wanted to identify an ingredient in a recipe but since he wasn't a gourmet chef, that useful was rare. Often it made food unappealing though he had learned to deal with it and not be as picky an eater as he had been.<br/>
<br/>
Putting the empty bottles in the sink, Derek grabbed the car keys and that was it, he didn't need more. His phone was tucked in his jeans, on silent, which reminded him. "Set your phone on silent when we're in the car, so we don't get made because it rings." Yeah, he remembered when he had been teaching Scott how to be a werewolf, that the teen had given away his hiding place thanks to Allison calling him. And he had smashed the phone in retaliation. Scott's head had always been too distracted with the one he had been in love with. It had bugged the Hale back then but now... he was pretty much the same way. Terrible!<br/>
<br/>
He had grabbed the keys of the jeep, it was made for rough terrain and the cabins were in the more hill side of the outskirts of the town. Not even counting as the town anymore, but still the county of Beacon Hills.</p><p>"I already put it on silent before coming downstairs," Stiles grinned a bit proud of himself as he followed Derek to the elevator and got in to push the button. As it started moving downstairs with them, he hummed, starting to feel the potion working in his system. "And sorry that most of the potions don’t taste too good. I know it's a bummer, but some cannot be modified cuz they'd influence the effect they might have on the drinker. Though the healing ones aren't so bad tasting, I think," he shrugged while fidgeting a bit.<br/>
<br/>
"This one should be working for you too by now. How do you feel? Can you smell me? You should be able to sense me because we are connected by our bonds and magic, so that shouldn't be affected in our case," he explained and waited for Derek to check just as the elevator reached the ground floor and the door slid open.<br/>
<br/>
Trying out new brews and potions and studying their effects on a werewolf was always fascinating for Stiles. A study in itself. He was so intrigued and fidgety this time too that he didn't even demand for the keys of Roscoe. He had let Derek drive it and even replace parts of it, so now it wasn't such a death trap anymore. It was made for his and Beth's safety and that was the only reason why he had let Derek do that first in secret, but once it turned out, Stiles gave in and let his man have this so it'd put his mind at ease and stop him from constantly grumbling out things like 'this car is held together mostly by duct tape' and such.</p><p>It was clear when the potion started working because there were no longer personal scents. It wasn't that Derek didn't smell anything, but there were no Stiles' scents, no Derek scents. And that's what he hated about scent blockers. Scent was what made a person who he was and even the chemo signals were gone. He didn't need those for Stiles, the bond helped. But he still wrinkled his nose, because it was so offensive to not smell his mate when he was standing right next to him.<br/>
<br/>
"I feel fine. But I don't like it," the Hale mumbled as they got into the Jeep which still reeked of them at least. That eased off the discomfort which was mostly in his head, he knew. His scent wasn't gone, it shouldn't be a big deal but he relied on his olfactory receptors so he was allowed some huffing and grumbling! There was a glance at Stiles for letting him drive the Jeep. Usually he was shoved out of the way with flailing limbs and dramatic speeches. "It's not like you've taken a shower. It's like... you're not you." It wasn't an absence due to the bond but that was the best word for it, there was an absence.<br/>
<br/>
The engine of the Jeep purred to life, of course it did now that it wasn't duct-taped together. It had working parts and everything had been cleaned. It was still a piece of crap but it was a safe piece of crap now.</p><p>Rolling his eyes, Stiles smiled and bumped his shoulder against Derek's before he went around the Jeep and sat into the passenger's seat. "I know you don't like it, I can feel that through our bonds. But it means it's working. Our scents are still there but cloaked for everyone. But you'll smell everything else. It'll last for around those few hours," he said, strapping himself in after leaning the bat against the door by his leg.<br/>
<br/>
Of course he had caught that surprised glimpse at him and now it was his time to look at Derek with some explanation. "Yes, usually I'd throw a fit if you attempted to drive Roscoe, but this time I'll need to focus on trying to sense the faint trails of magic left behind by Zepar. I want to try and see if I can do that during the drive and not just around the cabins. I read up on this last night too," he ran a hand through his messy hair and sighed.<br/>
<br/>
"Alright, let's do this shit..." he prompted Derek to start driving. Stiles would've lied if he said he wasn't somewhat worried and uneasy about this, but it was better if they did a surprise attack than Zepar and his little friends springing another one on them. "You'll also have to lose the hooded guys in case they are watching us and try to tail us. I don't want them to alert Zepar."</p><p>The Camaro would have been so much easier to use when speeding but it was the kind of car that would draw attention while this old Jeep was overlooked easier. Though he did still think they should have a third car, one that was the most popular model in the area so their cars wouldn't give them away. To the locals in town, blue Wrangler meant Stiles, black Camaro meant Derek. Also, they were still getting used to the two switching it up these days since Stiles drove his car just as much. As a detective, Stiles didn't need to use a patrol car but since Noah had asked him to wear a uniform as often as possible, the human wasn't going to turn down the chance to use the benefits of that.<br/>
<br/>
"I know, we'll have to take some detours, maybe paint the car a different color." The last part was a joke. Derek knew a few places so as he sped off, and using some back roads, he parked the car quickly in a carwash, hoping the time it took to get the car clean, was time they weren't going to look around anymore. And if they did, well, then he had other ways to shake them.<br/>
<br/>
"See, we're painting the car from muddy brown to blue again." He'd be glad this was all done, shaking tails all the time, being watched, fearing for their lives... sure it was the same old. But that was part of the problem, he didn't want the same old. He wanted something new, if only for a couple of weeks.</p><p>"Oh ha-ha! Very clever!" Stiles snorted, giving Derek another eye-roll while they waited for the washing to be finished. "You think we lost them?" he asked, concentrating and closing his slightly glowing eyes. "I could try a cloaking spell, but I haven't used it before so not sure it would work," he murmured, drumming his long fingers on the dashboard, one of his legs moving restlessly.<br/>
<br/>
They had to succeed tonight and were losing precious time with trying to shake their tail. "I don't feel watched at the moment or feel anyone from them nearby. But it might not hurt to try?" he suggested, opening his eyes to look at his mate questioningly.</p><p>It was hard to sense a tail werewolf style, and he often felt watched so that wasn't going to be helping either. Like Stiles, Derek didn't want to take any chances and have Zepar warned. Or worse, get help from the same group which had skewered the alpha to the Nemeton. Drugged sure, but Derek still didn't want to fight humans if he could avoid it, because they were too breakable, too easily hurt in a way that would have lasting consequences. Sure, they made their decision and if it came down to it, if it was killed or be killed, they'd be killed. Avoiding that would be better though.<br/>
<br/>
"Save your energy, you're going to need everything you've got." No, he wasn't too comfortable with a spell which hadn't been trained yet. Especially a cloaking spell. They were going to have to see about doing that soon and start with small objects instead of an entire car with them in it. "I know how to shake a tail, Stiles." The restless energy radiating from the Spark made sense, there was a time table here and in the dark wouldn't be good for Stiles who didn't have eyes to see in the night.<br/>
<br/>
There were still options even outside town so he checked what cars were following them as they drove to the city limits. It was pretty easy, no cars at all. That solved that problem. Derek knew that if he had driven around town again, they might get spotted, so it looked like he had made the right call.</p><p>For once Stiles didn't argue and it just showed how tense he really was about this. He didn't like to fight, but he had plenty of experience and now combat techniques too. The human way and the magical way as well. And he was known to fight for what he believed in and loved or wanted to protect. Their family and the town belonged in these categories and Derek knew Stiles would kill for them if forced. Maybe even with less reservations or hesitance than the born werewolf. It was not in the human's nature to be cruel, but he could be like that if there was no other choice. He had killed before, each time forced, but this was about survival. And obviously he wanted them to come out of this alive if Zepar wasn't going to cooperate.<br/>
<br/>
"You should stop the car soon so we won't alert him and can continue on foot," he said as they were getting closer. "Maybe try to hide the Jeep behind some bushes or something so it won't draw attention," he murmured as he stared into the dark trees for a long moment. Then he lifted a hand in front of his eyes, letting his palm slightly glow as he whispered some Gaelic words and once he opened his glowing eyes, he sighed satisfied. "Much better. Now I can see in the dark like you do," he beamed, blinking a few times. While Derek saw things in a reddish hue with his alpha eyes, Stiles could now do that in amber. "Wow, this trick is awesome. Maybe I won't be as clumsy like this as usual..."</p><p>The fact that it was getting dark didn't sit too well with the werewolf. Not because they couldn't see in the dark, as Stiles proved when he turned his own 'alpha' eyes on. It was more because Stiles' magic was going to be a large fire-like image and it was going to be seen by others in the dark. On the other hand, if Zepar had even entertained the thought of getting attacked by them once, he wouldn't expect them to do so in the dark.<br/>
<br/>
"Yes, because you're not clumsy during the day," Derek mentioned with a dry tone as he parked the car to the side, clipping some bushes. Because he had been told to hide it and he wasn't going to manually hide it in case they had to rush out of here. Getting out of the car, he didn't bring anything, didn't need to. All his weapons were part of him. Throwing the car keys over to Stiles, since he was least likely to lose them, Derek glanced around. The cabins in the distance weren't hard to miss, they all had a lantern glowing brightly. Probably done by the owner to make it easier for the tourists to find them.<br/>
<br/>
No Zepar in the air, nor had Derek expected that to happen. Maybe if they got closer but if the man was smart, and he was, he would keep himself hidden for as long as he was on this 'mission' of his.</p><p>"So rude..." Stiles huffed as he pocketed the keys once he was out of the Jeep too and picked up his bat, tapping it against the palm of his other hand. "Maybe I should spank you with this some time for being so mean to me," he joked halfheartedly, but he was already more focused on their task and environment, letting some of his magic go to map out their surroundings. And in hopes that he'd pick up on trances of the magic that clung to Zepar. Probably some wards too, which he'd be careful not to set off.<br/>
<br/>
"Promises," Derek said to being spanked by the bat, not taking the threat seriously at all. The rest of what they were doing he took very serious, knowing they had to keep their voices low and talk as little as possible. Stiles could read him like a book, no words needed.<br/>
<br/>
Stiles chuckled softly then lowering his voice, he caught up with Derek and stopped by a tree, taking a deep breath. "Give me a sec to feel around a bit," he murmured barely audible even for wolf-ears. With that he closed his eyes, not really wanting to rely on them at first, and concentrated on the forest and its vibes. He could soon sense the lay lines that were crossing the territory not far. Their constant deep humming a familiar sound by now. When he had first heard it, he was baffled and a bit freaked out, but it was a useful practice with Deaton to detect and recognize that kind of energy too. Maybe they might become useful in the future in case of an emergency.<br/>
<br/>
But now he let that low humming melt into the background. The magic spread out on the ground like a barely visible amber fog, sweeping through a wide chunk of the ground and heading towards the cabins. At first he didn't find or felt anything that'd tip them off where to head, but then the magic slowed and stopped further up ahead by a tree.<br/>
<br/>
"There's a tree up ahead with a rune carved in its trunk. We have to get closer so I can determine what it does," he informed Derek with still closed eyes, but his free hand pointed out the right direction. "It's probably some kind of a ward to repel humans or something."</p><p>The wolf eyed the tree and nodded. There was no cabin close by, it wasn't like they would be noticed and if they were, the other person was most likely going to run the other way when being faced by two pairs of glowing eyes.<br/>
<br/>
For him, it was hard to smell the magic, Stiles' magic was similar to what Zepar used, and he couldn't keep the two apart since magic in general had a distinct smell to it. The sense of something evil or good came from the chemo signals they gave, and not the way their magic smelled. "I can see the mark, but go ahead, it's safe."<br/>
<br/>
Derek was fine with Stiles doing his thing when there were other senses to use instead of his own. He adapted to whatever the situation required though if they ever got to where he had to use a gun because of a lack of werewolf powers, then they'd have a big problem.</p><p>"Maybe I should teach you about the runes and their basic meanings too just in case it might come handy in the future," Stiles whispered already sneaking closer, surprisingly quietly. It seemed his training paid off. Making sure that his bat was ready just in case, he kept his glowing eyes on their surroundings. That spell he did on himself earlier deemed to be useful for sure, because he could see much better and noticed whenever something moved in the light breeze or scattered away from him between the grass. But other than a few small animals, nothing else moved ahead.<br/>
<br/>
Reaching the tree, he lifted a hand to hover his palm over the rune and he squinted his glowing eyes as he concentrated for a short while, his eyes following and invisible line. Then he waved for Derek with the bat to come closer.<br/>
<br/>
"It's a similar cloaking rune I've mentioned in the car. But this is on a bigger scale. It stretches around this and that cluster of trees over there," he explained once Derek was next to him and tipped his chin towards said trees. It confused him for a moment and he looked around again, counting the cabins around. Then he pulled his phone out of his pocket to pull up the picture he snapped from the area. "Just as I suspected. There should be a sixth cabin in this area, but I counted only five that way," he nodded in the opposite direction. "I think this is it. He's hiding that cabin with magic. Which is a clever move. I can feel a human-repellent type of spell too to keep everyone away," he quietly explained, sliding his phone back into his pocket and lifted his hand over the rune again, chewing on his bottom lip.<br/>
<br/>
"I could break it without much difficulty, but that'd alert him. And I think he's here. It's the same kind of magic from earlier. I can try to... make a rift in the ward where we can slide through the ward undetected. And keeping it up would be better too to hide a possible fight from anyone who might be around."</p><p>Breaking it would be like sounding the alarm and they'd lose all the advantage they had right now. Yes, it was a smart move to hide a cabin even though they knew there were six cabins there. They wouldn't know exactly where it was and hiding it was a good way to fool even the owner. "You know what all of this tells me if he's so prepared? He's done this before to others." Who knows how many others had been tested without being told, and proven to be too much of a threat to let live. Sure, Zepar was the messenger but did he have to take so much pleasure in it? Did he have to be so prepared?<br/>
<br/>
"Rift sounds best." It would be hard entering a house they couldn't see, if they'd even get through the barrier since it was set up the way it was. Of course it wouldn't be easy to even reach the other alpha though this barrier did make him realize that they didn't have to worry about others seeing the magic in the darkness of the evening. Whatever happened beyond here, they would not be a witness to it. They had free reign until they were, possibly, forced to take his life. All the magic would end then.<br/>
<br/>
"Your magic does attract attention so this is actually a good thing."</p><p>"Yeah... It definitely isn't his first rodeo..." Stiles whispered back, his jaw tightening. He knew his life has been at risk ever since this alpha waltzed into their lives, but it just dawned on him how serious the situation was now before – hopefully – the showdown. He straightened up, turning to his mate as he swallowed hard.<br/>
<br/>
He wasn't scared for or worried about himself that much, though. He was more concerned about his mate's safety. He had nearly lost Derek twice recently. So he concentrated on gathering all his belief that his wolf was going to be protected and safe tonight. And with that he stepped into his space to pull him into a kiss, some of his magic passing through their mouths into the other man, like some extra protection.<br/>
<br/>
"Don't play the hero. Stay safe and in one piece for me, will ya?" he murmured onto the tingling lips then pecked them once more, forcing his hands to loosen around Derek's shirt so he could pull back.<br/>
<br/>
Some promises couldn't be made, and he didn't want to be a liar so Derek didn't say anything to Stiles asking him not to be a hero. He'd always, always jump in front of Stiles if it came down to it because when it came to the fighting, to the healing part, he was the one capable of the impossible. He could die, obviously since he had gotten close to it again, but the chances of him healing in some way were bigger instead of Stiles getting clawed open. Most alphas would hide behind their betas, not Derek. He would always get in front and put himself on the line so others had the chance to sneak attack. It was his strength, his endurance.<br/>
<br/>
"I don't think either one of us is going to be in one piece after this fight but we'll heal." And that was a promise he could make, muttered against those lips. They both knew this was dangerous, however it was the one chance they could take and have some upper hand in this situation. If Zepar and his friends were going to be the ones to find them again, the Hale wasn't sure what they'd do to him next. After impalement and disembowelment, it left many options open, not ones he was eager to find out.<br/>
<br/>
"Alright, let's get over this..." he turned his back on Derek and let his magic loose, holding his hands out in front of him, his open palms pressed together, the magic concentrating in them, making his skin light up in the usual amber color, the glowing veins running up to his elbows.<br/>
<br/>
The wind slightly picked up as he began chanting with closed eyes, his hands not moving for now. In his mind Stiles tried to map out the edges of the ward, trying to find the weakest point where he could open the rift for them to slip through.<br/>
<br/>
"There... Follow me and when I tell you, step through the barrier right in front of me. I won't hold the rift open for longer than necessary," he instructed and started walking down along the straight invisible line of the barrier, palms still pressed together to build up more of his power in them.<br/>
<br/>
Then he soon slowed down and stopped, murmuring 'this is the spot' more to himself than to Derek. Facing it, he took a few deep breaths. "Get ready..." And with that, he began another Gaelic spell, repeating it over and over as he carefully let his magic flow out of his hands, making contact with the barrier his eyes could see now. He knew he had to be careful not to trigger the ward, but it wasn't impossible. And when he felt the magical fabric give way, he used that and made a 'tear' in it, wide enough for them to slip through.<br/>
<br/>
"Now, Derek!"</p><p>Derek slipped through the rift, having the urge to duck even though he couldn't see the hole and had to rely fully on Stiles' hand pushing him where to go. Good thing he had been blind before, because besides Braille he had learned how to work with Stiles' guidance to move him around. On the 'other' side of the barrier, Derek waited for his mate to slip through as the magic sealed back up with a shimmer of energy. They had to keep their voices down from now on, not talk at all preferably.<br/>
<br/>
It was show time.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. 19: Emissary - Part 2</h2></a>
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    <p>
  <strong>19: Emissary – Part 2</strong>
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<p>As Stiles turned around, he looked up at the "missing" cabin up ahead. He could feel the buzzing of the ward's magic somewhat stronger from this side and as he glimpsed around, everything looked normal when looking "outside", not like how it was when they tried to do the same from the other side. Where there was nothing previously, the lonely cabin stood. There was a light inside and some soft electric guitar playing could be heard.<br/><br/>He motioned for Derek to follow and quietly moved toward a bush from where they could observe and plan out their next step. Now their bonds and the ability to read each other easily were going to come in handy.<br/><br/>Puckering his lips, Stiles lightly frowned. Obviously Zepar was home. And no, it wasn't just someone inside, it was the alpha, because inside this shielded territory he could sense and see the faint trails the other druid's magic had left. The residue Zepar had left outside the Hale building too.<br/><br/>‘<em>It’s him</em>,’ he mouthed to Derek and tapped the side of his own nose to ask if he could smell the wolf now.<br/><br/>The trickier task was to figure out how to surprise attack Zepar with him being inside. They should somehow lure him out perhaps to have more room. And something flashed in the amber eyes. A look Derek had to know well by then. The one he got when he had an idea. Probably a stupid one, but one they might actually pull off and put their fighting practice to use.<br/><br/>Just when he flashed a mischievous smile at Derek, the guitar playing stopped and there was some movement from inside.<br/><br/>‘<em>I lure him out. You stay and wait for my signal</em>,’ he mouthed again. Of course, he knew Derek wasn't going to like the idea of Stiles using himself as bait, but he didn't wait for his mate to react or try to argue with him.<br/><br/>The next moment the Spark was stepping out from behind the bush to walk a bit closer to the cabin. He stopped in the long grass and took a deep breath, letting his magic loose enough for the wolf inside to sense.<br/><br/>It didn't take long for the tall long-haired alpha to walk out onto the porch with a mug of coffee in hand and a dazzling white smile on his smug face. Despite that, yeah, the muscular guy still looked stunning.<br/><br/>"I was wondering when you'd show up here. I guessed it was only a matter of time for you to figure out where I am. Maybe the rumors are true about your intelligence and talent for detective work...." Zepar winked at Stiles then took a sip from his coffee, completely unbothered and relaxed.<br/><br/>"Well, thanks. It wasn't as hard to figure out like you think," the druid shrugged with a lopsided smirk of his own.<br/><br/>"I believe you. Good job with getting through the ward too without triggering it. Impressive. So tell me, where is your puppy mate? Or you finally came to your senses and realized that you'd be better off with someone like me?" he raised a scarred brow.<br/><br/>Stiles snorted softly and shook his head, amber eyes never leaving the alpha's impressive form. "Oh, he's nearby. Why? You can't tell? I thought you were better than this..." he teased back, unable to stop himself.<br/><br/>Zepar slightly lifted his chin and took a deep sniff to scent the air. "Nah, your potion works too well I guess on both of you. Too bad. I like your scent quite a lot, even with the Hale's sticking to it. Makes me want to rub all over you to wipe it off."<br/><br/>"No thanks, I'm pretty satisfied with how I generally smell," Stiles rolled his eyes then sighed. "I'm here as an Emissary, not as a Spark. I'd like to – for once – talk instead of fighting, if it's possible."<br/><br/>"Oh? Don't tell me your alpha is too much of a coward to face me again?" Zepar grinned, making Stiles' teeth clench but he forced his smile to stay on his face.<br/><br/>"Oh, he'd really love to rip you apart and watch you bleed out, believe me... But I stand before you to ask for a once honest answer from you. What do you want to achieve with your little tests?"</p>
<p>This plan hadn't been one Derek had agreed to but Stiles was sure of it, although it rapidly turned out that it hadn't even mattered. Zepar had been expecting them to try something like this and even though them showing up had clearly surprised him, he wasn't getting defensive. If anything, he seemed to be eager for some company. So this wasn't going to be a fight about defending territories. The alpha didn't think they were even enough of a threat to blink twice at. Which, given their previous encounters, wasn't that strange. It meant they were going to have to prove themselves because there was no other way to deal with this one.<br/><br/>At least the previous encounters made one thing clear: Zepar was making all these remarks to rile them up and he was still doing the same trick now, a trick which wasn't going to work on Derek. Stiles was his, he bore the marks, he bore the bond and more importantly, he wanted only the Hale. So this giant wasn't going to flash his dimples and get what he wanted. Come to think of it, he was laying it on so thick, Derek wasn't even sure if Zepar wanted it. Yes Derek fully believed his mate was attractive enough to get this kind of attention, because Stiles was a handsome young man with a Spark, so alphas were going to line up for it. This one though, was crudely flirting, never once getting the hint, on purpose. Everything was on purpose.<br/><br/>Quietly the wolf moved to get behind Zepar, from enough distance. Stiles hadn't given a signal but since Zepar already knew he was there, he was going to be ready for him, no matter what side he took. As the two talked, Derek went around the cabin and decided (why not?) using a window to get inside. Nothing too interesting going on there, although... two plates. There were two used plates in the sink, two mugs besides the dinner which had been made. The alpha had company recently. No scents whatsoever in the cabin, noting to give anything away. Derek moved to lean into the doorway with his arms crossed, just as Zepar was answering Stiles, not aware of him yet.<br/><br/>"Can't take on everybody as a mate, now can I? I had to make sure what you're made of. And besides, not my fault your pup alpha was part of rumors I had to check out for myself. Not that I didn't enjoy seeing him bleed like a stuck pig, but it was pretty useless," Zepar took another sip of his coffee. "Maybe I should kill somebody first and then do it again. Your dad looks about the right age for retirement."</p>
<p>Of course, Stiles could feel Derek being on the move, sneaking expertly behind the big man, who had his back to the door. But the Spark wasn't sure Zepar didn't know that he was watched from behind. Frankly, they could never know with this one. But the human was careful not to look behind the tall alpha and with that give away his mate's location.<br/><br/>He was listening fairly calmly to the cocky answer, but his eyes narrowed and the magic stirred somewhat when he so casually brought up murdering his dad, the county's Sheriff! Zepar had the nerve to even show him his impressive claws on his free hand as he looked at them casually, as if he didn't notice the effect his words had on the Spark.<br/><br/>"That wouldn't be wise. He's a well-loved and respected man of the law. I'd make sure to put a manhunt on your head," Stiles warned, gritting his teeth together.<br/><br/>"I guess you're right... What about your mother?" he glimpsed at the young man again, his smile wolfish. "Oh right, I nearly forgot, she's long dead. Too bad, I heard she could've been a promising Spark too. No wonder you inherited this from her..." Zepar sighed with fake sorry on his face. "Then how about... that cute little cub you two are raising together? Maybe I should've gone for her the first time. That clearly could've been a better motivation..."<br/><br/>Threatening the Sheriff's life or bringing up Claudia to tip Stiles out of balance was kinda expected. Not a pleasant thing to hear and yes, it did make him angry and his eyes and veins glow a bit brighter, but he more or less managed to keep his cool. But threatening the life of an innocent cub?! Elizabeth was half-wolf. What kind of a born wolf, especially an alpha, would threaten the life of one of his kind? Wolves were supposed to do everything to protect cubs! And only the vilest would kill even the cubs of enemy packs!<br/><br/>Stiles wanted to shout all these thoughts at Zepar, but he didn't. Instead he hissed through his teeth.<br/><br/>"That's another very wrong idea. As I see, you cannot listen to reason and want to make me lose it. So I guess negotiations are over," Stiles watched the alpha put his mug down on top of the porch railing, that annoying grin never leaving the full lips.<br/><br/>"I guess they are," Zepar said calmly, reaching up to put his long hair into a messy man bun, cracking his neck out.<br/><br/>"You want me to do magic? I can give you that, asshole..." the Spark grinned darkly as he opened his fists, concentrating his magic into his hands until they burst out into flames up to his elbows.<br/><br/><em>Now, Derek!</em> Stiles' message went through the bonds clearly, but he didn't give any hints to the approaching alpha, who slowly walked down on the couple of steps of the small porch, looking amused and like a predator on the hunt, stalking his prey.</p>
<p>Derek, as usual, didn't use the steps the cabin offered. Soundlessly his claws were out, his fangs were sharp and his whole face had morphed to beta shift. The urge to snarl and roar was suppressed when he had to be silent, using his speed to push off the wooden deck to launch himself at the larger alpha. His claws embedded into the broad back and he didn't need Stiles' magic to throw the other one into the nearest tree with some satisfaction. The unfortunate tree broke, or more like shattered due to the impact, but Zepar only laughed, brushing the wood splinters off himself as he slowly stood.<br/><br/>"There's the puppy alpha. Nice entrance. Very dramatic, but not very effective."<br/><br/>Derek gave the smug grin a dark feral look in return. Let him think he was going to win, let him think they came here without more strength than last time, that this plan was one born out of despair. The Hale was going to enjoy this so much more, wanting to give Zepar a beat down for daring to threaten the lives of <strong><em>his</em></strong> pack and <strong><em>their </em></strong>daughter as if they were nothing but trash to be put out, nothing but a few pawns in a game. Did he mean it? Maybe he did, maybe he didn't but the anger those words had caused was probably felt and that meant Zepar still had some sway over them, no matter how hard they tried.<br/><br/>As the other one charged, Derek stood his ground, focusing on what they had been practicing, the runes on his leg flaring up. It made the swipe at him hit him, but it didn't do damage in the way it was supposed to do. It simply pushed him back from the sheer force of Zepar. Derek tilted his head after looking down at himself. "Not very effective," he shot back and he knew this was going to be the whole turning point of the fight. Zepar was going to realize he was actually going to have to work hard for it and it was why the Hale hadn't wanted to combine his strength with Stiles' magic just yet. It was the one card they had to play and he preferred to keep it up their sleeves for as long as they could to hit him hard when needed.</p>
<p>"I see some improvements have happened there..." Zepar grinned, looking less bored and more excited about the fight now that it seemed the field was more even. He maybe even looked a bit impressed as he readied himself to land another punch, his dark ink starting to shimmer in the silvery light of the magic of the druid he was tied to.<br/><br/>"Oh no, you don't!" That was Stiles as he formed a fireball between his hands and quickly threw it at the alpha, who had to roll out of the way to avoid it, so the fiery ball hit a thick branch of another tree instead, which splintered as well and fell onto the ground not far from the cabin with a heavy thud.<br/><br/>Stiles didn't stop to sightsee, though. The second the ball was thrown, he was reaching down for the carved and spelled grey bat, which has been hiding in the long grass by his feet. They had a plan. To incapacitate Zepar to be able to interrogate him. That was Plan A. But if they are forced, they had to go for Plan B, which was finishing him off once and for all.<br/><br/>"What's the matter, oh big bad alpha? Don't you want to dance with me?" Stiles asked, swinging the bat in his hand, trying to circle the alpha so Derek could get another opening. The emissary had told Derek earlier that he'll need an opening so he could try to break through the protective spells around Zepar to be able to bind him with a spell in case sheer force didn't work on the powerful alpha. To get to that point, they seemed to be ahead of a long, yet more even fight than before.<br/><br/>His answer was a snarl and Zepar moved nearly too quickly for even the magical eyes as he launched at the Spark. Who was ready...</p>
<p>Zepar's strength was the brute force he had, he was like the Hulk in that way and it worked for him. Which meant that they couldn't let him get those full force attack moments like the one he was about to unleash on Stiles. Derek knew he had to distract him, his mate felt ready and confident in his skills, but the more magic he could hold onto, the better. It wasn't something to be used indefinitely, it was more like a battery needing to be charged. Sprinting after Zepar, Derek didn't exactly knock either one aside. He made sure he got in between to take the blast of the magic so it would charge him instead.<br/><br/>It didn't damage him as it would have Zepar, it gave Derek the strength he needed to go up against this werewolf Hulk. It wasn't going to be an easy fight, it wasn't that they had the upper hand all of a sudden but they no longer were born losers. Using the flames to his advantage, Derek hit the other alpha full in the face, knocking him back again. The magic battled with the magic, so as much as the younger alpha wanted to, he didn't do as much damage as he intended but the nose did bleed. And that was more than he could have done before.<br/><br/>The older wolf, like last time when Derek had managed to draw a tiny bit of blood, wasn't too happy with the attack and yet at the same time, seemed to be enjoying the prospect of an actual fight. He wiped at his nose, only smearing the blood flow over his cheek, his teeth stained with his own red liquid when he grinned. It wasn't a nice grin anymore, it was as feral as Derek's had been. "I should have tried to kill you sooner. It made you grow a bigger pair when here I thought Kate had neutered you a long time ago."<br/><br/>"Yours would have been bigger if you'd stop trying to weaken others with words," Derek bit back, the Kate jab was expected since it had been made before.<br/><br/>"Trying?" the large male laughed, genuinely amused. "Doing. I know it's getting to you, I can see it in your eyes. I mean, at first I thought this Kate was a weakness because she had seduced you and killed your family but it's more than the whole older woman touching a little boy. Isn't it?" Just as Stiles was attempting to strike, Zepar turned to him. "Do you know your pup was touched when he was a big boy too?"<br/><br/>Derek stilled, paling. "Shut. Up."</p>
<p>"Oh he doesn't know... This is priceless! See? My words ARE getting to you two..." Zepar gave them another bloody grin, eyeing the Spark who previously was charging towards them with the bat charged and humming with magic, ready to strike.<br/><br/>But the surprise quickly changed to anger on Stiles' face. Not for not knowing about something like that or not wanting his mate anymore. No, it was because this asshole really had to play this dirty, using abuse to trigger and try to hurt his mate and even attempt to drive a wedge between them. Not that it'd work.<br/><br/>His mind was running a mile a minute, trying to figure out when that might have happened. The answer was pretty easy. Probably when Kate had kidnapped Derek before trying to de-age him and make the teen version remember only the fact that he trusted Kate to reveal more family secrets in the Hale vault.<br/><br/>"You seem to know an awful lot about very personal stuff of us. And you still believe that babbling out something like this would affect how I feel about my soulmate?"<br/><br/>"No, but it made you angrier," Zepar shrugged, licking some of the blood off his teeth. The bleeding had already stopped thanks to the rapid wolf healing.<br/><br/>"I am angry, yes! For trying to hurt my mate again," Stiles' magic flared up, the bat bursting into his magical flames too. "Why don't you pick on the one you really want to test? I'm right here, Mr. Blabbermouth..." he taunted Zepar to try to attack him again.</p>
<p>Derek wasn't worried about Stiles thinking badly about him for this, it hadn't crossed his mind once because the human had never been that kind of person. He wouldn't start labeling others to be damaged goods because of being used like that and though he knew this was something they were going to talk about, right now, it didn't matter. To the younger alpha it was an intrusion of his privacy to have a secret like that outed in this way, it hadn't been Zepar's to tell. It wasn't anybody's business but his own, something he had wanted to keep that way. And yeah, it made them both angrier, for that kind of breach.<br/><br/>Finally he was able to roar, his voice reverberating around them, drawing the attention of Zepar who had been about to pounce on Stiles. The time of words and taunts was over, the Hale wanted to fight, wanted to make blood flow and stop this once and for all. The sheriff had been threatened, Beth had been threatened, enough was enough. Derek waited for Stiles' conjured ball of fire to be unleashed, this time not using it but letting it hit their enemy before he followed.<br/><br/>The fight which they all had been itching for, it was brutal with Derek keeping Stiles on the outside as much as possible while the two wolves clawed and bit and battled in a fury of speed and bodies. More unfortunate trees fell victim to meeting their ends in a splintering of wood and leaves, and shirts got ripped as much as skin was. They were well-matched. Derek's agility and speed saved him from being pummeled into the ground, his strikes not doing as much damage though. Zepar was older, stronger, knew how to channel the magic given to him. With Stiles' attacks from the side, they managed to hold their own, seemingly endless as the two wolves didn't tire out easily.<br/><br/>Derek was brutal, he couldn't afford not to be, couldn't afford to hesitate or think too long, it was all on instinct. Block, attack, claws, teeth... Keep him away from Stiles as much as possible. The damage he sustained he barely even took notice of, because that was also something he couldn't afford to think about. When claws sank into the back of his leg, he yelped in surprised pain, feeling the fiery burn of wounds because his attention had been away from using the runes. A weakness Zepar used to throw him aside, his head hitting a large boulder with a crack. The Hale slumped, eyes closed and still, he kept himself still. He hadn't forgotten the plan and hopefully Stiles would see through the ruse as well.<br/><br/>This was the whole idea, letting the older wolf go for Stiles, thinking Derek was out for the count and Stiles would unleash all magic so it would hit all of them. Then it was Derek's time to shine and get this man down.</p>
<p>Stiles was waiting for this moment, although he didn't particularly liked the way his mate got hurt. He could feel some of the pain through the bonds, but he kept himself focused on landing blows with his bat and magic whenever he could. They had to tire out Zepar somewhat and to make him believe he had the upper hand. Which seemed to happen once Derek was down. Stiles could feel that it wasn't for real, that he wasn't left alone to fight this fight. (Not that he wouldn't try to do that if it was real.)<br/><br/>"I give you that you have stamina and strength," Stiles told the bloody but very much standing alpha in beta shift. These red eyes were so different from Derek's for Stiles and it made him appreciate his mate's so much more than he already did.<br/><br/>"I have stamina in other things too," Zepar grinned, wriggling his brows a bit suggestively, which earned him an eye-roll from the Spark.<br/><br/>"Ye-ye... Shall we?" Stiles asked and threw the bat to the side, concentrating on releasing more of his magic until his whole body seemingly caught on the magical flames. "It's just you and me now. Don't run, little alpha..." he taunted Zepar, who snarled at him and moved in to attack before Stiles could release his full magic to annihilate the protection the other alpha had.<br/><br/>But Stiles was faster this time. He was already a step ahead of the big wolf and a dark smile spread on his face as his eyes began glowing brighter, the swirling magic around him taking up the form of big fiery wings, arms spread and held out as if he wanted to welcome his attacker, but it was to give the magic free rein and then he felt Derek move.</p>
<p>Derek had to suppress the urge to growl when Zepar has latched into the sexual innuendos again, and took a lot of effort to make sure his heart was slow and his breathing deep as if he was out cold. They couldn't afford the other alpha getting distracted by supposedly Derek 'waking up'. The more he thought he was the one winning, the more chance they had of taking him out because he had gotten too cocky.<br/><br/>Luckily, the Hale didn't need to have his eyes open to know when the magic was reaching its highest point, he could smell it, he could even sense it. It was all about the perfect timing. Let the older alpha get ready for the onslaught of magic he was about to receive while Derek used that moment to slowly rise from his spot, leaving a bloodstain behind on the rock but the wound had already healed. It hadn't been alpha inflicted, it had been stone inflicted. The rest of his wounds would take a few days, but neither were life-threatening, nor would limit him in any way until after the fight and he could be all grumpy about a fussing mate. Right now they were inconsequential.<br/><br/>As soon as he felt Stiles ready, he ran towards them just as Zepar was hit by the onslaught of the unleashed magic of the Spark, weakening all the runes and spells done on the giant while it rushed to Derek. The flames licked along his skin, warming it but not once damaging it as the wolf focused on letting it connect with him. It was a bending of will, happening fluently, the flames amassing around him while the magic rushed along his veins. His eyes went from red to glowing gold and ember, as if the fire was within as well, the phoenix not the only one rising from the ashes. A deafening roar shuddered the ground, made birds screech in fright and flew off in a hurry as the fire-filled alpha ran towards the other, the fire moving with him as if they were one being. They weren't, this was Stiles' magic working with Derek. And it had created something impressive and monstrous. The werewolf was a feral beast, the predator the stories rumored them to be.<br/><br/>Derek, at that point, felt so powerful he knew he could punch a fist through that massive chest and rip out the heart. If he wanted to. He didn't. Instead he punched that smug face a few times while dragging Zepar down by pouncing on him, straddling the older man, fighting to take him into a hold.<br/><br/>"NOW, STILES!"</p>
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<p>It was clear from the surprised huff and widened eyes that they finally managed to take the other alpha off guard. He wasn't expecting them to work together like this, for Derek to be unaffected by the magical flames around him like that. Seeing it made Stiles feel a bit smug and proud, but he had to keep up his concentration.<br/><br/>To Derek's yell, the Spark dropped on his knees, open palms slamming onto the grassy ground and he channeled the magic into the earth, giving it a direction. Namely, the wrestling alphas. Zepar was already in a sitting position, trying to keep Derek away and buck him off, his many tattoos alight as the magic was trying to protect the wolf. But it wasn't enough. Stiles could feel it.<br/><br/>To make sure they'd succeed, he summoned another wave of magic and sent it through the earth. Right where Zepar was struggling, roots began growing out from the earth, wrapping around the massive body like magical ropes to restrain the alpha. And while that was happening, the Spark's magic was overwhelming the alpha's magical defenses, Stiles muttering fast with glowing eyes to break the runes' power over their foe.<br/><br/>It wasn't easy, thick sweat drops were sliding down from his hairline as he kept his flaming eyes on the other two, flaming hands shaking a bit from channeling such a massive amount of magic through the earth. But it was working. And he could feel the siren call of the lay lines too. Stiles was tempted to tap into them, to help amplify his powers, but he firmly resisted.<br/><br/>And in another minute the alpha's protection was broken, a blast of energy swiping through the clearing in front of the cabin, the roots holding the disoriented alpha immobilized. Stiles kept his hands on the ground to keep the channel open, but his fingers itched to reach behind his back and pull out his gun to send a wolfsbane bulled through the annoying asshole's scull.<br/><br/>Instead, the panting Spark's fiery eyes glimpsed at Derek with a small nod as if saying, 'he can't move, he's all yours to interrogate'.</p>
<p>Derek sensed the intense exhaustion running through Stiles, the way he was almost shivering from concentration to keep Zepar where he was. Time was limited so he had to make sure he would make the most of it, because if he didn't get what they wanted, then killing was the only option left. An option he was surprisingly reluctant about despite the agony Zepar had put them through twice. Three times even, since the two were going to need a little time recovering after this intense fight, Stiles would be depleted. Something they had known would happen, just as Derek had known he wouldn't be walking away unscathed. However this time the damage was nothing a few days of taking it easy wouldn't fix.<br/><br/>Grabbing the other alpha by the throat, Derek leaned in to get his attention, red eyes flashing. "I can rip your throat out right now, end this for all of us and you’d deserve it." His hold tightened in threat. "But I want you to set up a meeting with your boss. Do that and you can walk away."<br/><br/>Zepar snarled, spitting blood which spattered in Derek's face, adding to the gore already there from cracking his head on a stone.</p>
<p>"No, you listen. We don't want to harm them, we want to talk, end this. We deserve that much. These trials? They're done, we've proven ourselves. Now we want answers."</p>
<p>"It's not up to me. They might refuse to meet with you," Zepar gritted through his teeth, red eyes looking into Derek's without any fear for his life. Maybe he was a bit crazy and too wild.<br/><br/>"Then you make sure they will want to," Stiles snarled and with a tap of his hand against the ground sent a smaller wave, making the roots grow thicker and tighter around the captured alpha. "We're not asking. You saw what we can do. You know there's more. Don’t make me change my mind and use what you've been tempting me with," he warned as the amber veins slowly crawled up from the side of his neck to his face and temple. "You and the Council don't want to get on our bad side and you know that. Be wiser than this, Zepar," Stiles added with a dark little grin, making a few black and sharp thorns grow out from the roots near the alpha's neck and face just from thinking about it.<br/><br/>Zepar could only move his eyes towards the angry Spark. He wasn't a fool, he could feel the enormous amount of magic he was currently wielding, making the elements obey to his will. And he could tell this wasn't all. Stiles wasn't even tapping into the Nemeton or the lay lines' power. But he could if he wanted to. Zepar was also sure that these two could end his life if the Spark gave the go to his mate. The Leader would probably want revenge for his death, but the fate of these two weren't in Zepar's hands. It never was. He did his job, he taunted and tested them and obviously his secret was more or less out for the pair, so he could drop his act at this point.<br/><br/>"Fine. I'll talk to the Leader then we'll see. You can let me go now. I won't attack anyone unless provoked."<br/><br/>Stiles gave him a hard long look to see if he was telling the truth. Then decided that Zepar was sincere enough after he exchanged a look with his mate, a silent communication going down between them. Oh, how the Spark wanted to end this asshole's life and it would be so easy. He would just have to think it and it would be over. A part of him wanted to give in so badly, but he also felt through the bonds from Derek that he shouldn't. So he gave in and pulled the roots and magic back.</p>
<p>Stiles was constantly balancing on the line of going dark. Derek could feel it in moments like these where even he didn't know if his mate would be following up on his threats or not. Probably why Zepar didn't fear Derek at all, knowing the alpha would be fair and had no desire to kill unless forced into it. While the Spark was unstable and could let vengeance get the best of him. The Council saw that too, so it was going to be up to them to show that no matter what, it wouldn't get to that.<br/><br/>"We never provoked you, or others. You made Stiles unstable with your tests, with your attempts to take me away. Don't ever threaten my pack again," Derek’s hand wrapped around the throat despite the magic releasing the older alpha. The last words were snarled through his fangs, his voice dangerously low and cold. No, Derek Hale wasn't a killer but if he was forced into it, he'd do anything to protect his pack. He wasn't going to lose another one. He’d rather die. "Do you know why the alpha pack lost here in Beacon Hills? Because they wanted death when we wanted life."<br/><br/>Yes, Zepar wasn't the only one able to say words that were meant to hurt, like him losing his pack to an alpha pack a long time ago. Zepar got strong on taking lives, Beacon Hills wolves got strong on letting lives live. That kind of balance would always win in the end. The Nemeton might want sacrifices, but it hadn't done it any good, it would only grow darker. Derek pushed away from Zepar.</p>
<p>"Don't think to double cross us. When a pack wants a peaceful talk, your Council of Druids has to abide to that. We will make sure our intentions are made known to others. Wouldn’t want it to get out that the Council chose to ignore a peace offering."<br/><br/>They would be prepared nevertheless. They would try to heal as much as possible with the time given between now and the meeting. Hopefully it wouldn't come to having to use magic.</p>
<p>It seemed Zepar was finally taking them seriously, because he didn't shoot back any funny comments or threw flirting towards the slowly standing up Spark. He held the Hale's red gaze with his own for a long minute before he nodded against the tight hold on his throat.<br/><br/>"No double crossing. I'll let you know what the Leader decides. Now go. You both need some rest," he told Derek, nodding towards Stiles who was still glaring at him, ready to attack if needed, but the magic was pulled back, only making his veins and eyes glow by then. "Take care of your mate, Hale," he added then freed his throat and simply walked back into the cabin.<br/><br/>Which was surprising to Stiles, because this was the first time when Zepar acted somewhat decent and thoughtful. Until now they couldn't see this side of him. It was as if he had dropped a mask or something.<br/><br/>The surprise was still written all over the druid's face as he looked at Derek, ignoring the slight tremors and dull pain in his hands. "He's right. We should get going," he whispered to his mate, eyeing the torn and bloody clothes, but Derek looked better than the last time they had a confrontation with the other alpha.<br/><br/>Stiles knew that these wounds were going to take a little longer to heal because of being alpha-inflicted, but maybe the magic during a balancing might help with speeding the healing process up. Although right now Stiles just wanted to get out of there and nuzzle into his mate's embrace. He wasn't sure how long he was going to be able to pretend he wasn't exhausted to the bone and dizzy from using the magic on a bigger scale again. So he turned around, careful not to sway on his feet, and headed towards the spot where they entered the still intact ward.<br/><br/>Though this time he didn't try to find a weak spot to just make a tear in it. This time – both as a warning to Zepar and because it was easier – he held out a slightly trembling hand and broke the ward without stopping in his strides. Until he did stumble a bit but caught the bark of a tree just in time before he'd fall and began panting for air.</p>
<p>It was pure exhaustion Stiles felt and Derek didn't think his healing would be of help with it. Balancing would help to give whatever magic he had left within to his mate but he knew from experience, that they shouldn't do that right now. It was best to let Stiles sleep for a while, which was unavoidable with how much he was depleted.</p>
<p>"Maybe stop using magic," Derek grumbled, coming up behind his mate who was leaning heavily against a tree. Seemed like he was debating if passing out was a good thing or not when in the werewolf's opinion, it would be. For a short moment he looked at the pale human, letting him breathe in and out a few times.<br/><br/>And that was about all the patience he had before he reached out and scooped the human up. There was no way the other would be able to do more than a few steps in this condition, and they had some rough terrain to cover before getting to the car parked near the road. It was dark, nobody was going to see anything so if Stiles was against it because of his pride, nobody was going to know. "Relax and rest, you did well."<br/><br/>Without any strain, the Hale carried Stiles to the car, settling him in the passenger's seat. He wasn't worried about bloodstains in the upholstery, he'd check the next day and clean it because he couldn't be bothered to check himself over and take time to possibly try to bind some of the wounds. Since it was dark, the blood wouldn't be a problem, probably. Wiping at his face with his sleeve, he attempted to get rid of the worst of it since lights of the possible oncoming cars could show it. He set the heating higher, so Stiles would be more comfortable and strapped him into the seat belt.<br/><br/>The car drive back was quiet, Stiles out cold. Derek focused on avoiding attracting attention, driving the normal speed limit, taking back roads instead of the main one. There was some relaxing when they passed the sign of Beacon Hills, less danger of encountering trouble and there wasn't even one car he passed this late at night.</p>
<p>"We're home." He was not sure if Stiles was even awake enough to hear him.</p>
<p>During all this there was no disagreeing beep or argument from Stiles, which showed just how tired he was. He actually liked being close to Derek when he carried and cared for him, making sure he was as comfortable in the car as possible.<br/><br/>"Yeah... I can feel it," Stiles only mumbled that at first. He always could tell, because whenever they passed the Beacon Hills sign, there was a magical thug in him deep down. His connection to the land and the Nemeton. As if they were greeting him. Not that they were that far out in the Preserve, Stiles could feel the magic of the land there too, but the closer he was to the converging lay lines and the magical tree stump, the stronger he felt it. Even in his mostly depleted state.<br/><br/>"And you know I can't stop using magic. I tried before," he hinted at that mistake when he tried to lock it all away in him. He had learned his lesson from that. "It's part of me. Not using it would only make things worse," he said as he made himself turn his head towards Derek so he could watch the sharp lines of the stubbly face. "I don't think this is supposed to happen... The magic draining me this much." Because yes, each time he used a bigger amount, it took a toll on him physically and magic-wise too. "I think I'm missing something. I'll have to look into this."</p>
<p>"I didn't mean stop completely, I meant to not use spells at the moment when you're so tired." The term idiot wasn't used but heavily implied when Stiles assumed the worst when Derek was only talking about the now. When Stiles had broken the ward completely and had used precious energy he needed. Arriving at the loft, Derek turned the engine off to look at the tired human.<br/><br/>"Healing sight drained Jennifer, so I think it's normal or everybody would be able to use it. You're human, the body can only handle so much and looking for a way beyond that might create damage to you. So just… be careful." Looking into it couldn't hurt, of course not, it was the doing something about it that was the danger. How much could Stiles push before his own body was going to fall apart? "What we did back there, it wasn't nothing. Zepar was very powerful." And it was a win, they had done what they had wanted to do.<br/><br/>Not asking if Stiles needed help, Derek simply gave it, taking most of Stiles' weight to help him to the elevator. "You're going to sleep and then you're going to eat a whole lot, we'll balance and then you can do your research. In that order."</p>
<p>It was usually the other way around for Stiles. He was the one to help on others, so he was always bad at accepting help himself. But now he did it because it felt nice coming from his mate and it also put Derek's mind a bit more at ease. But he did give him an eye-roll and a heavy sigh for good measure.<br/><br/>"Yes, dad..." he grumbled, still holding onto Derek's shoulder, his side plastered against the nice warm one. He didn't even care about the mostly dried blood. Stiles even went as far as pecking Derek's lips as a silent 'thank you' for all the help.<br/><br/>"I don't think this 'Leader' will be here tomorrow anyways, so I believe we'll have at least a day or two before the meeting. We'll have to talk things over before we go there, too," he mumbled against the soft lips then rested his head against Derek's neck when the elevator door opened upstairs. "You also have to tend to your wounds. I can do that for you before bed," he offered, letting Derek head inside the loft with him.</p>
<p>A soft snort escaped the bloodied wolf, because Stiles could barely stand on his own two feet and yet he still offered to treat the wounds. "You can crawl into bed and I'll shower, if you're still awake when I'm back, you can look it over." The wounds were going to heal, and Derek was mostly planning on checking himself over to make sure nothing was bleeding anymore and consider it a job well done.<br/><br/>He took Stiles straight to the bedroom so his mate could sit down and maybe topple over, without hurting himself in the process. "Do you need something to eat or drink before I take that shower? I won't be long."<br/><br/>A simple wash and rinse to get the blood off. It would make it easier to inspect himself. Good thing he was wearing old clothes because as he fingered the t-shirt, he realized that wasn't salvageable anymore. At least the head wound was closed, those were always annoying bleeders.</p>
<p>"How lucky that you'd put on old clothes you didn't mind to get ruined," Stiles chuckled a bit, catching Derek's thought without realizing as he was kicking off his sneakers and socks. And wow, those felt like a chore at the moment but he somehow managed despite the fact that he just wanted to let his eyelids drop and make the room stop from spinning.<br/><br/>"Just some water, please," he mumbled and pulled his plaid shirt and T-shirt off, going for the struggle of taking his pants off too. There were still some of his veins faintly glowing under his skin, but he ignored it. God, how he hated being so drained. It was one of the worse occasions. But at least he didn't faint. Yet.<br/><br/>"Your wounds need to be cleaned and bandaged. Promise me you do that even if I fall asleep?" he muttered a bit sluggishly and dropped back on his pillow to lift his hips and shimmy his jeans lower, but he ran out of energy half-way and just laid there, looking up at Derek who was watching him and hopefully not judging him. "God, I hate it when this happens. But at least we had taught a lesson to that big smug ass of an alpha," he chuckled dryly.</p>
<p>Derek got a bottle of water from the fridge and was back before Stiles even knew it, placing it on the nightstand just as his mate gave up on undressing. "I will promise I will try to bandage the wounds I can get to." He knew better than to make a promise he wouldn't be keeping and how to make Stiles having to deal with what he got. There was no way the human was going to be able to be awake for bandaging with how he was half-asleep already.<br/><br/>The alpha helped undress the rest of the way, removing the jeans and socks and maneuvering Stiles onto the bed in a way that would leave room for Derek later too. "He did what he was told to do, that much was clear. It makes me wonder how much is it voluntary." Enslaving alphas wouldn't be the first time. Like the alpha pack forcing alphas to kill their own and keeping them. So yeah, Derek had been reluctant to kill Zepar, something didn't seem right with it all.<br/><br/>Leaning in, he kissed Stiles and covered him with the blanket, to go get that much needed shower. The clothes were tossed in a heap in the bathroom, he'd throw them out tomorrow. His focus was on some warm water streaming down his body, making the wounds sting while the tiles turned red. Especially his hair was clumped with blood and needed a thorough washing to get it clean, something he did rigorously and quickly. He had been so quick that the mirrors hadn't fogged up and he could inspect the damage without needing Stiles.<br/><br/>Yeah, there was no way he was going to bandage it all, he might as well turn into a mummy. "Stiles? You still awake?" he loudly called out, hoping for a no so he could slip into bed.</p>
<p>Meanwhile Stiles had to admit that he kinda liked his mate taking care of him. It took him a while to get here and it was far from the first time but until now he kinda fought it. Now it was just nice to be tucked in and kissed. While Derek was in the bathroom, he managed to drink half of the water from the bottle before he dragged the comforter over his cover too and then he was slipping in and out of sleep. His brain was too riled up and his body too cold along with one or two muscle cramps in his legs to let himself take that one step from being half-asleep to that blissful darkness. Not to mention his worrying about Derek's wounds. At least they weren't life-threatening ones like last time, but it didn't mean Stiles cared less about them.<br/><br/>He really had to find a solution to this weakness problem, though. And it wasn't just about getting too drained from his magic, but also about slowly losing weight. Which only slowed down and didn't fully stop despite the fact that he had started a diet put together by Derek. Lots of protein and all that crap Stiles never had to deal with before.<br/><br/>It's like there was something. Something he was missing and it was bugging him enough not to let the sounds of the shower lull him into a much-needed sleep.<br/><br/>So when he heard Derek's question, he answered with a slight slur to his voice as if he was drunk, but it was the exhaustion. Unless his mate had put something into his water, which wasn't likely. Right?<br/><br/>"Yeahhh... Need a hand with those wounds?"</p>
<p>Stubborn human didn't seem to want to sleep. He sounded more drunk, slurring his words, probably unable to do more than watch Derek dress the wounds bleary eyed. "No, it's fine, I'll be out there in a moment." They had a lot of gauze so he used the cloth patches to cover up the worst of the claw marks and used the light tape to keep them in place. Some of the scratches in his face got a few butterfly strips to put the skin back together. They should invest in wound glue. With his healing, it would probably work really well when there were alpha wounds.<br/><br/><em>That was enough</em>, he thought and put it all away, cleaning up the empty packages, before strolling back to the bedroom naked to put on some underwear only. Time to join his mate in bed. After checking the alarm and the door to make sure it was locked, he slipped into the sheets to curl against the half-asleep human. Stubbornly attempting to remain awake when he was clearly in need of at least eight hours of shut eye.<br/><br/>"You can check tomorrow. They’re not going anywhere, and neither am I." Well, he was. To make breakfast after sleep. A ton of food to make the other eat.</p>
<p>"Hm... that sounds great..." Stiles mumbled, worming himself closer to Derek, mindful of the injuries as much as he could. He was clearly after the werewolf heat which made the Hale's body like a furnace next to him. So once he found a comfortable position against Derek's side, head resting on his shoulder and a hand resting over his mostly uninjured stomach, Stiles sighed satisfied and relieved. "Couldn't fall asleep... without knowing you're okay... and without my furnace," he mumbled, feeling the trembling of his warming up body ebb down under the blankets.<br/><br/>"You were so amazing tonight... So good with the fire and the protection spell... So proud of you," he continued with some difficulty to articulate the words but he knew Derek would get them. "Thank you... for holding me back..." From stepping over that dangerous line, from giving in to the easier, destructive way. It wasn't as close like when he and Jordan had found the barely alive Derek on top of the Nemeton. But it was still way too close to Stiles' liking.<br/><br/>He knew Derek would understand too – hopefully – so he buried himself more into his mate, gently stroking the wolf's stomach while the nice warmth and his mate's scent surrounded him, lulling him closer to dreamland. And he finally allowed himself to let his mind slip away, feeling cared for and protected despite everything. He was the luckiest druid/emissary/mate in the world.</p>
<p>"I'm proud of you too." Derek nuzzled him and kept him close, not saying anything to the way Stiles had come close to going over to the darker side again. There was darkness within him, the temptation of power so close by and ripe for the taking… It was always going to be a serious threat to them. Understandably so. Just as Stiles was going to help Derek deal with all the crap in his head, so was the Hale going to help with the darkness in every way he could. It was the right thing to do. It was the only thing to do for his mate.<br/><br/></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. 19: Emissary - Part 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>19: Emissary – Part 3<br/></strong><br/>It was late morning when the alpha woke up, his body feeling slightly better thanks to his healing. Stiles was completely out of it, sprawled out all across the bed while drooling on his pillow, looking like he wasn't planning on resurfacing to the land of the awake any time soon. That was good, since there was a plan to make a very large breakfast.<br/><br/>First things first, feeding of the chicken and the red cat, they were too loud to ignore. Fresh water for both too, all the animals happy. And while the coffee was brewing, Derek eyed the fridge to determine what he all could make for his mate.<br/><br/>Admittedly, it took some time to get it all done, but in the end, he thought he had done well enough. Freshly baked dark bread in thick slices with a royal spread of dairy butter, scrambled eggs and bacon. Some waffles with strawberries and homemade whip cream, a glass of freshly squeezed juice and a large mug of coffee and of course a hot bran muffin the size of a fist, with banana slices. High in calories, fats, proteins. The bacon was tricky for the veins but he baked it in coconut butter, the odorless kind because his own sensitive werewolf nose really didn't like the smell of heated coco butter, nor the taste of it.<br/><br/>It barely fit on the large tray and he had to balance it carefully as he made his way back to the bedroom.</p>
<p><em>When he opened his eyes, Stiles saw the shrouds of the trees lightly swaying in the wind high above, warm sunlight filtering through the leaves and painting interesting shadows on his face. He was resting against something big and warm. As he reached back with a hand, his fingers sunk into black soft fur. The sleeping wolf huffed satisfied in his sleep as he was curled around Stiles' form, who had his back and head against the alpha's warm side, listening to the chirping birds and the other sounds of the forest around them.<br/><br/>It was so peaceful and warm like home. It put a smile on Stiles' face as he lazily stretched his barefooted legs out on the forest floor which was covered by grass and small colorful wild flowers, their scent sweet and relaxing to his senses.<br/><br/>Stiles closed his eyes again, taking a deep breath from the fresh air. He was about to go back to sleep on his wolf when he heard... or rather felt a soft pulse in the ground under them. Frowning, he kept his eyes closed and tried to ignore it, but it came again and then a little while later again. The more he listened, the more it felt like energy pulses and suddenly he was very aware of the energies of the forest and the lazily swirling magical particles in the air around him.<br/><br/>When that happened and he opened his eyes, he was standing alone in a familiar small clearing and he was staring at the Nemeton's stump. The pulses were coming from it, calling for him and in his mind Stiles could tell exactly from where the lay lines were coming to converge right under the once glorious and sacred tree, which was only the shadow of its powerful self. But there was power there. Not just from the earth itself, but by its own too.<br/><br/>Such tremendous elemental power that it made his fingers twitch and his palms tingle along with his own magic while the hypnotizing pulses kept rushing through the ground and with that through Stiles too.<br/><br/>What he felt wasn't all dark. It was tainted, yes, by the wrong kind of sacrifices which always leave their mark. That darkness was beckoning him too and he should've freaked out, but he didn't for some reason. He felt like he didn't have to.<br/><br/>Stiles' hands reached out as he went closer, wanting to touch the magical tree to feel more of it, all of it. His fingertips were so close, tingling wildly and flaring up in amber, but just then he jerked awake. For real this time...</em><br/><br/>"W-what?" his bleary eyes were blinking with confusion as he looked around and stopped on Derek entering their bedroom with a big tray packed full with food. He was at the loft, not in that forest.</p>
<p>"You okay?" Stiles seemed out of it, probably had been sleeping so deeply that he was all confused about everything. Well, too bad for him because he had to get some food in him before he could sleep some more. Like with werewolf healing, food was a good way to make the Spark feel a little better, because using magic burned a lot of calories. It was why this entire tray was meant for his mate. Derek'd get his own food in a moment once the human was all settled. Breakfast in bed, the only way to go when healing from something as important as putting an alpha in place.<br/><br/>"Can you sit up? I've made a lot of food and I'm expecting you to eat a royal amount." Hopefully maybe even all of it if Stiles was feeling like it. The trick was to not have any serious talk until they were done eating. Last time that had ruined their appetites. Stiles couldn't afford the loss of calories, but it didn't change much for Derek if he didn't eat for a bit. Though he had noticed that he was slowly starting to beef up a little, which was more fitting for an alpha. Werewolf bodies changed to cope with the status. He had gotten soft when turned into a beta, rounder cheeks, less ripped. That was all changing yet again.</p>
<p>Stiles' bedhead was spectacular with the hair standing in every possible direction as he was blinking stupidly at Derek. His mind needed a few more moments to comprehend what the man with all the food was saying. The sleepy human grunted something as a reply and concentrated on finding his limbs all over the bed to move. He eventually did, dragging himself up into a sitting position while his dream slunk into the background and his focus shifted to the breakfast in bed he got.<br/><br/>"Wow... It is a lot," he finally managed to put his first sentence together. "Slight headache and muscle burns like after a big workout," he added and reached for the big mug of coffee, soon cradling it with both hands and taking a big lungful of the amazing scent. They both needed coffee before anything else after waking up. Well, usually.<br/><br/>Stiles took a few careful sips, moaning obscenely – as usual – from the rich taste. Derek being picky about his coffee brands did pay off on the long run. By now the Spark couldn't remember a time without these fancy brands and he did appreciate them. Like... with noises of approval.<br/><br/>He didn't even look up or at the tray before half of the wonderful liquid was gone from his mug. "I feel like a king with such a feast early in the morning." Well, it wasn't early at all, more like close to noon, but Stiles didn't care. He reached for one of the buttered bread slices to finish his coffee with it. He's been through this 'magic withdrawal hangover' enough times to know that his stomach first needed to be settled with some bread before he'd try to eat anything else. So he took a bite, some butter sticking to his upper-lip as he looked at Derek. "You're awesome," he mumbled with his mouth full. "How are the wounds?" Stiles critical eyes slid lower on Derek's body to make sure his mate was healing and okay. Not that he could see much at the moment. He could, if he used his magic, but he was too drained for that right now.</p>
<p>"You are a king," Derek retorted with a snort since the hair was standing out on ends almost like a crown. At least Stiles was awake enough to focus on the coffee without spilling it everywhere. "The wounds are fine, eat!" No emissary or pack business right now, including injuries. The Hale trotted back to the kitchen to get his own mug of coffee and a plate of food that had been waiting for him because it hadn't fit on the tray anymore. He took both with him to join his mate in bed, settling next to him.<br/><br/>There was no way he wanted breakfast ruined, so he took a big sip of coffee, inhaling the scent of the fresh beans and the lingering scent of bread and eggs. Very good morning scents. Technically it was still morning but the food was more like late brunch, very early lunch.</p>
<p>"Duh, I'm royalty among druids and emissaries for being a Spark, so yeah. This feast pleases me," Stiles welcomed Derek back with this comment and took another bite from his bread with a hum, knowing what Derek was doing. Namely, distracting him from last night and the possible meeting it might bring to their doorstep soon.</p>
<p>"You like the coffee? It's ground with hazelnuts, so it's got a more earthy taste to it." The nut taste was very light, only a hint of it but it softened the bitter taste of the coffee beans.<br/><br/>The wolf scooped scrambled eggs onto the bread so he could take a big bite, enjoying the taste. His scrambled eggs had the secret ingredient of curry powder, making them less bland. Stiles never complained about Derek adding his own little things to the food he prepared. "We should add nuts to your food. It'll be good for you."</p>
<p>"The coffee is awesome! And yeah, I know nuts are good. Lots of fat and calories and nutrients and fiber and I know they are antioxidants too and reduces the risk of a heart attack or stroke and are also good for the brain, also helps on anxiety among other things..." he said a bit more awake then blinked at Derek. "I read. And I do eat them time after time. When I don't forget it."<br/><br/>And with that Stiles finished his bread and reached for another, this time eating some scrambled eggs and bacon with it too. It seemed his appetite was waking up too, because now he was digging in with more enthusiasm.<br/><br/>"I appreciate your efforts to pay attention to my diet and to feed me right. I often forget that. Which is funny since I torture my dad with a healthy diet all the time," Stiles chuckled with bulging cheeks and glimpsed at his eating mate with softer eyes. "The food is amazing, by the way... I already feel a bit better. Thanks."</p>
<p>"You've got a brain which forgets a lot of things when it's occupied with something it finds interesting." At times Stiles could be so focused that he'd forget to drink, eat, or even use the bathroom. And then Derek would watch him rush to the toilet in a mad dash because his bladder is about to explode, Stiles' words, when the wolf thought there was some emergency like sudden sickness or something. Or at least it was like that at the beginning of them living together, now Derek was completely used to it and didn't even blink. Good thing they had a toilet upstairs and on the main floor. It no doubt had prevented a lot of accidents.<br/><br/>That wasn't the only reason for the forgetting of proper food, though. Stiles would always think about everybody else before himself when it came to caring and protecting. Because if the Spark hated somebody, he wouldn't care about them and there were not on the list of those going before himself. Sure Stiles would completely ignore personal boundaries and feelings of others if he got too invested in something, but it had never been from lack of care, it was the lack of filters.<br/><br/>Feeling the fond gaze on him, he glanced to his mate who had started to stuff his face with gusto now. Good. That was more like Stiles even though Derek hated to be sprayed on with food.</p>
<p>"No more making fun of me for being such a ‘hipster’ as you call me. You love all the fresh food." Derek was called hipster by a few people. So what if he liked to go to the Farmer's market and was into raw and natural foods? So what if he wasn't into chemical weird meat parts ground into a paste and dunked into gallons of fat to be topped off with a condiment to give it a taste? Didn't mean he was a hipster, it meant he had actual taste buds. Working ones!</p>
<p>"Okay, I'll admit that not all hipsters are bad or lame. You can be an exception," Stiles teased after swallowing what was in his mouth and drank some orange juice too. "I'll also admit that I tend to forget things that are not that important in a given situation," he shrugged. "Or that I like fresh food. Especially if my own hipster prepares it for me."<br/><br/>He definitely was getting better and his mood improved as well as the coffee and food began to work in his system, firing up his brain and pushing the headache into the background.<br/><br/>There was distinct scowling happening when Stiles teasingly used the word hipster a few times. Somebody was getting more awake! At least the human was completely used to getting dark glares sent his way, because he was completely unfazed by the looks, eating happily as the companionable silence stretched between them while they enjoyed the food.<br/><br/>Derek pointedly didn't look at his mate as he was starting on the waffles, because the whip cream was always eaten in such a fashion that it caused a certain tightening in the loins. Lots of licking of lips and fingers, lots of moaning. Sometimes Stiles eating was like torture to the Hale, making him want to jump him instantly.</p>
<p>Stiles ate in silence for a while, enjoying the waffles with some more obscene approving noises before letting his mind wander a bit then blurted out what was on it without a warning.<br/><br/>"I had a dream of the Nemeton." There, a nice little bomb dropped on his mate. Stiles didn't know exactly how the Hale would react since they both had a strange relationship with that ancient magical tree. So his side-glance was careful.<br/><br/>"What." The word came out a little startled as Derek paused his chewing, putting the bread down before he'd drop it and sprinkle bits of egg everywhere. From experience he had learned that rarely anything good came from the Nemeton, not even in dreams. It communicated through those so no, hearing that it had reached out to Stiles wasn't great.<br/><br/>"What did it want?" It could be nothing, the wolf chastised himself. They were eating, food was going to be finished, end of story. He'd force it into his mate if he had to since he had the habit of dropping bombs all over their meals like an IRA terrorist.</p>
<p>Stiles expected the tensing up and all Derek's attention suddenly focused on him. Obviously he wasn't playing the dream down as something unimportant. They both were wiser than that. But to make his mate less worried, Stiles drank some more juice and smacked his lips together, picking up a piece of bacon to chew on while he explained. Because yes, he knew he wasn't going to get out of bed until he cleared everything – or at least most – of the food away.<br/><br/>"I woke up in the forest where I was sleeping curled up with your wolf form and then I was suddenly at the Nemeton, feeling its power pulsing through the land and me. It wanted me to touch it. To open myself up to its power. Like it wanted to show me something or help. Dunno. I woke up before I could do that from you bringing in the food," Stiles said on a mostly neutral, light tone and chewed on more bacon, his eyes studying Derek's expression and feelings which he could sense through the bonds.<br/><br/>"What are your thoughts?" he finally asked, because he was curious what Derek's take might be on this strange dream. "Maybe it's just a dream, but I'd be surprised. We both know how the tree can get into our dreams. I had dreams with it and you before too."</p>
<p>"I don't know," Derek admitted with a small frown as he thought it over. It seemed harmless enough but the question was: why did the Nemeton want to be touched? More temptation? It had tempted Stiles when Derek had been busy bleeding out all over it, to tap into its power and avenge on them all. Since they weren't even sure about the reasons behind what the tree did, if it was good or bad since it certainly wasn't as neutral as it should be, it was best to be cautious. And it obviously wasn't some dream, it was an attempt at communication.<br/><br/>"I'm weary whenever the Nemeton wants something but... it can also want something else, guiding you towards something." Interpreting dreams wasn't something he was good at, because there were many hidden messages within dreams. Like somebody having reoccurring dreams of falling meant they were afraid of failing and things like that. "It might get you somewhere if you write down what there was in your dream and look for the meanings. See if it puts together something that makes sense."<br/><br/>Whatever the Nemeton wanted, it would get it in some way, which was the danger with this. "You dreaming about me isn't that weird, but me being in my wolf form is more significant." He ate his bacon and started on his last slice of bread with Nutella spread, though he denied he had a sweet tooth.</p>
<p>"Well yeah, I think you being there in that form has the simplest explanation. You're one with me. A part of me. My home. Wherever you go, I go and vice versa. I dreamed with you as wolf before too. Your presence always makes me feel complete and at home. It was the same time now too," Stiles thought back, popping another piece of bacon into his mouth.<br/><br/>"You know that feelings are important in dreams too, right? I mean how things feel to you in them. It helps you understand them better because it's connected to your subconscious and instincts. So of course I felt comfortable with you around in that form. But when I got to the Nemeton, what I felt it wasn't bad either. Sure, it was overwhelming and a bit scary with our history with that tree and the fact that it's not completely neutral..." Stiles looked at Derek again. "But I didn't feel bad about the touching thing. I felt the tainted parts, but I wasn't going to touch that..." he mused and drank the remaining few sips of his coffee just to do something.<br/><br/>"You might be right. I'll write down this dream and whatever else I might dream with it. If more dreams happen. And will try to figure this out. But if the dreams continue, there might be a possibility that I'm supposed to go back to the grove and actually touch it. After thorough research and talking to Deaton of course. Because I still feel like I'm missing something important..." Stiles grumbled, clearly displeased with that fact because if there was something he hated, it was missing something important.</p>
<p>"If you have to go there, then that's what you have to do." Avoiding the Nemeton when it was part of Beacon Hills was impossible, but to go looking for it when it asked for it through dreams was something else completely. Derek didn't think being summoned by a magical tree was something they should take lightly, but from the sounds of it, Stiles wasn't planning on it. "Can't hurt to be careful and research it a bit first."<br/><br/>No doubt the Nemeton wanted to connect, because there was a powerful Spark close by and it wasn't getting what it needed. The tree wanted to grow, except it’s been a trunk for so long. The offshoots that had grown since Jennifer and the Nogitsune had developed into small branches but it was going to take many decades to become a tree again. If it ever would. Derek wasn't a tree specialist, nor was into gardening, so he had no idea if a cut down tree could regrow again and what it would look like. Especially not a magical tree.<br/><br/>"We should ask Deaton what it means for you to connect with it, and what my blood does to it. Especially now that we're mated and your spark is at full power. You're a druid, so it'll want you. The question is why and would it harm you or the balance?" the Hale huffed mid-bite, shaking his head. "You have terrible meal topics, you know that?"</p>
<p>Stiles was so lost in his thoughts about the Nemeton that Derek's last remark threw him off guard and he blinked at him a bit confused for a moment until his mind switched gears and he chuckled softly.<br/><br/>"Yeah, well. I'm me," he shrugged it off and sighed, breaking a piece off the bran muffin and absently chewed on it. "Thanks for not wanting to ban me from the Nemeton, though. I know you don't like this too much, but yeah... if in the end it's where I'll be supposed to go, I will. And I think we should pay a visit to our secretive vet at the animal clinic maybe tomorrow once we balanced and rested and healed some more. He should know about the possible Council meeting too," Stiles added and went back to the waffles, sucking off some strawberry juice and whip cream from his fingers once he stuffed a piece into his mouth. There was a fork, but sometimes he was too lazy to use them and ate with his hands instead. Like a caveman – his dad's words, not his.<br/><br/>There was no way they were going to get out of dealing with the Nemeton. They were both linked to it ever since they were teenagers. To deny it would be playing pretend and that wasn't something Derek was good at anyways. But to accept the link and to willingly connect were two completely different things. Especially since Derek had not connected with it willingly at all. It had been forced on him so yeah, he wasn't too happy with these recent developments, though he did his best to not limit Stiles. He trusted his mate fully to research everything before he'd do anything, and to have a plan since Stiles was the man with the plans, his mind had hundreds of them.</p>
<p>"To change the topic, your breakfast is amazing. Maybe I should deal more often with hostile alphas or stuff that requires me to use a lot of magic," he softly teased and scooped up some whip cream with his finger, sucking it off with a suggestive look. Yeah, he was definitely feeling better from all the food.</p>
<p>At the change of topic Derek smiled. "If you want fresh bread each morning, I can do that, almost like magic." To be fair, every idiot could make bread, as long as they knew what ingredients to dump in there. And when trying to fatten up somebody who didn't get enough, baking bread helped to add extra. Stiles of course was not talking about the food as much as he was trying to be suggestive and Derek shook his head.</p>
<p>"No, no sex yet. You need to heal, rest up, not burn even more." It was followed by a heavy eye-roll because Stiles was incorrigible when it came to sex. "You eat, not play."</p>
<p>Shock appeared on the emissary's face from the 'rejection'. It was rare that Derek refused to get frisky with him and those were usually with good reason. Still, it made Stiles pout and tear off another piece of waffle to dunk it into the whip cream, eating it as seductively as possible because he knew how to push on Derek's limits.<br/><br/>"Are you sure? I ate A LOT. Look, nearly all the tray is empty!" he waved over the tray with his free hand, the other picking up the last piece of strawberry and sucking on it too, making sure to let some of its juice run down on his fingers so he'd have to suck them clean. "I feel fine..." he added and put the tray on the nightstand to lay back on his pillow in a half-sitting position, one hand behind his head on the pillow, the other lazily drawing small circles on his lower tummy as he sent bedroom eyes to Derek.</p>
<p>"You really sure? I could just lay here without much moving not to burn away too much. Plus we have to balance too..." he singsonged as he 'innocently' dipped his fingertips under the edge of his briefs, curious what Derek would do. If he still refused, he could take matters in his own hand too, because yeah, food made him and his magic hungry for other things too.<br/><br/>"I feel sooooo empty...." he sighed and bit down on his bottom lip. Yes, he was that evil when he was in the mood. Which was often or he needed very little prompting. One wouldn't even assume how dirty-minded Stiles Stilinski really was...</p>
<p>Stiles didn't look fine, the extreme exhaustion he had felt wasn't fine and the breakfast wasn't even close to replenishing what the body needed. Derek himself wasn't healed and it seemed like a very bad idea to have sex, one Stiles didn't seem to agree on. The older man knew that look, there was sex going to happen one way or the other, by his own hand if he had to. Still, there was some hesitation, enough to give his mate a look. This wasn't about not wanting Stiles, this was about not being the right moment for him.<br/><br/>"I know we have to balance. In a few hours I'll happily balance with you in however way you want it. But right now I don't want to. You look ready to pass out." And no, fucking a half-alive mate really wasn't as hot as Stiles desperately tried to make it. Derek was about making love, not having sex to get off. That was the bonus to it all. He licked his lips and looked at where Stiles' fingers were playing. "I can suck you off, though."<br/><br/>This was Derek's duty as mate, to keep Stiles safe and cherished and loved and to stop him from doing things that weren't good for him. Putting the plate away, Derek slid closer to the sulking human, kissing him on his cheek. "I like to fill you when not just your cock is up for it. Let me take care of it, sleep some and I'll wake you with great sex. How does that sound?"</p>
<p>With an over-dramatic sigh Stiles finally caved. Not because of himself, but mainly because of Derek and what he said. He said he didn't want it right now and he meant it too, Stiles could tell. And he had promised a long time ago that he wasn't going to force anything on his mate and in his logic this would be something like that. Derek wouldn't find pleasure in it, so Stiles hand stopped and let his fingers rest just under the hem of his briefs.<br/><br/>Otherwise he just turned his face a bit so he could peck Derek's lips. "Okay, fine, you win. You don't have to do anything aside from holding me while we both sleep and heal," he mumbled, closing his eyes. Derek was also right. It felt good to keep his eyes closed and could tell that sleep wasn't far. "Also, you cannot say that I don't see reason. I give in, okay?" he murmured against his mate's lips still, his free hand reaching up to caress the other man's forearm.<br/><br/>"But I'll hold you... to that promise of... waking me up with good sex..." Stiles forced himself to add, already starting to drift away as the food kicked in too.</p>
<p>Derek wouldn't have minded to help his mate out, because it wasn't like he didn't enjoy giving oral, it was one of his favorite activities in bed. But he could understand why Stiles stopped it fully and appreciated it. Bot of them not healed, having sex, it brought back memories Derek didn't want to have nor talk about. His mate accepting his no like this meant a whole lot to him. "Thank you," Derek muttered because at least he didn't need to give in this time and that was nice, it was comfortable.<br/><br/>Curled up together, they both fell asleep quickly, the meal helping their bodies as much as the extra hours of sleep did.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. 19: Emissary - Part 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
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  <strong>19: Emissary – Part 4</strong>
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<p>By the time Derek woke up again, he felt like a normal werewolf. His muscles weren't stiff, the wounds no longer puled with each movement and they felt less raw. Rubbing the sleep away, he glanced to the still sleeping man beside him, who was softly snoring with harsh puffs of breaths. The unhealthy paleness was gone to a more acceptable pale and the dark circles under the eyes didn't look like painful bruises anymore, they were just dark smudges at the most. Stiles was going to need to balance, and the easiest way for both of them would be with sex, since it would help them heal their bodies too.<br/><br/>Gently reaching out, Derek tested how deep Stiles was sleeping by peeling the sheets away and there was only a moan of protest and a little toss which only served his purpose because the human flopped on his back. Patiently the predator waited for his prey to settle again, before skilled fingers slowly, very slowly, peeled away the underwear. He pulled them down enough to free what he was looking for, the scent of Stiles hitting him hard since they had been sleeping long hours.<br/><br/>Green eyes flicked up, checking to see if Stiles was asleep as he took hold of the hardened cock. It always was filled out when Stiles woke up so the human was about to open his eyes no doubt. Perfect timing. Derek licked his lips and slipped them down the velvet shaft.</p>
<p>Derek's reward was a sigh which turned into a soft moan and some squirming from Stiles. Luckily this time he didn't dream of the Nemeton. Or at least if he had any dreams, he didn't remember them and could get some much needed rest in. But his wake up call was even better. True to his words, Derek woke him with sex, just like he promised and he wasn't going to say no to that.<br/><br/>Eyes still closed, a smile tugged on his lips as he moved one hand into his mate's thick hair. "A good afternoon to you too..." he mumbled, letting his hips come alive and lightly buck into the wet heat surrounding his hardened cock. "God, I love your mouth around me..." he groaned and finally looked down at Derek to drink in the hot sight. It only made desire unfurl faster in his stomach, his fingers lightly curling into a fist in the messy hair.<br/><br/>"Go deeper, please..." he urged, watching his cock moving in and out, getting wetter by the minute. "You feel so good!"</p>
<p>Derek mumbled something in greeting when Stiles woke up, but didn't stop what he was doing. Instead he was rejoicing in the feeling of a hand fumbling with his hair before the fingers tightened their hold. Green eyes flicked upwards at that, and if he didn't have his mouth full, he most likely would have thrown his mate a promising grin. Instead though, he pressed his tongue flat and relaxed his throat so the hard erection would be able to slip in all the way. His spit leaked around the shaft to wet it while his lips slipped down, the thick head reaching the back of his throat.<br/><br/>His nose nuzzled at the thick dark curls nestled at the base of the cock but he wasn't done. Not even close. The moment the thickness was as far as it could go, Derek sucked, hollowing his cheeks as his tongue pressed against the soft skin. He sucked even harder, humming a moan which vibrated around the length.</p>
<p>"Holy crap!!!" Stiles cried out, one of his legs kicking out and his hand pulling harder on Derek's hair from the intensity of the deep-throating. "Derek! Oh god!" he whined, feeling his cock throbbing in sync with the humming and the wet sucking.<br/><br/>"I'm... gonna cum fast... if you keep this up!" he warned, pulling his legs up to near his chest to expose himself more for his mate. This way he could lick and suck on two of his fingers and reach around a leg to rub the damp tips against his clenching hole.<br/><br/>Opening his shimmering eyes, he looked into the green ones, the magic starting to stir in him a bit. "Bottom drawer in the nightstand... and lube... I want you to play with my hole too... Please..." he panted.<br/><br/>Of course, he meant the sex toys they had in that drawer but rarely used since they were usually too impatient or turned on by each other to take their time like that. But now they didn't have to be anywhere and the need to balance wasn't that urgent yet. Not to mention that imagining Derek stimulating his hungry hole with the vibrator Stiles had recently purchased and not tried out yet (aside from cleaning it) was such a turn on that his fingertips unwittingly slid in half-way, making Stiles moan as the tight muscles gave some more way to the intrusion.</p>
<p>The lube was not in the bottom drawer, since that one was locked away from curious toddler eyes, because that one contained the toys Derek always forgot to include. It wasn't that he was against using them, but he was often so wrapped up in what they were doing that he never thought to think about using props to spice it up. With a very low whine of having to abandon what he had been enjoying, Derek let go of the erection with a wet plop. He was completely used to Stiles being this bossy even when half-awake. He actually loved it though in all fairness, Derek was starting to initiate himself more when it came to sex.<br/><br/>Sliding to his knees to the floor, the wolf glanced to Stiles who was busy fingering himself, making his nostrils flare at the scent while he fumbled with the key to unlock the drawer. The key was hidden in a book in the top drawer or they'd both forget about it. He grabbed it when he had reached for the lube. Now he was the one impatient with an eager mate stretched out on the bed, though that faded when he opened the drawer and looked at the toys there.<br/><br/>Hm. Was he supposed to pick from all that? Play with the hole would indicate no plug but there were dildos and vibrators. And anal beads. The latter he had never ever used before so he left those where they were, which didn't limit his options. Stiles moaned loudly again, and Derek pushed at his own erection to calm it down a little. It still had to hold out for a while.<br/><br/>"Any preferences to what I should pick?" Derek-speak for ‘please tell me what you want because I have no idea’.</p>
<p>Although Stiles was busy pushing his fingers deeper, he was kinda glad that Derek had to abandon his flushed and by then very wet cock, which flopped back on his bare stomach. With a small groan of displeasure, he pulled his fingers out to fully get rid of his briefs while Derek was moving off the bed. Then Stiles opened his legs slutty wide again and pushed his fingers right back in, giving that loud moan which made Derek look.<br/><br/>The two fingers were fully buried now, scissoring and rubbing all the right spots inside, making Stiles' back arch and his body squirm with want and need. Stiles' shimmering eyes met Derek's helpless ones. He understood the real question.</p>
<p>"The black silicone one. It's a vibrator... Roughly the size of your cock," Stiles flushed a bit as he lined up a third wet finger, his other hand going to his previously bitten nipple to pinch and pull on it. "I want it in me... I want you to fuck me with it before you replace it with your own cock," he whispered hoarsely. "Come on, Derek. I'm burning up for it. Don't make me wait any longer," Stiles panted and sank all three of his fingers fully inside, a satisfied moan following it right after that.</p>
<p>Derek had glanced down to the lube to make sure he had grabbed the right one, the water-based one since silicone-based lube was great for anal but wrecked toys. No, the Hale hadn't known that, Stiles had educated him in all kinds of lubes when they went to the sex store and he had wondered about why they needed so many different ones. When the mate was a research fanatic, it could be very helpful, it could also be very... taxing.<br/><br/>"Stiles... stop playing with yourself without lube," he complained, because it was very distracting and it was also not good for later when the hurt of stretching without lube settled in. Finally locating the right toy, the alpha closed the drawer and was back on the bed, swatting at a thigh playfully. "Fingers out. My turn."<br/><br/>Almost his turn. As he was coating the toy with lube, he checked for the switch, turning it around in his hands a few times, showing his inexperience. At the base was where the batteries went in so that's where he felt, realizing a turning knob to set the vibrations, making it nearly jump in his hand, and he dropped it. "... Let's pretend that didn't happen," Derek laughed, because he wanted this to be sexy.</p>
<p>Stiles huffed and puffed at Derek, but did pull his damp fingers out. "There was lube... My spit... Contrary to your belief, sometimes that's enough too," he rolled his eyes and adjusted the pillow under his head as he watched Derek getting acquainted with the newest addition to their naughty collection. Okay, some were from Stiles' own collection which he had bought back in San Francisco or while he was at the academy and was in his experimental phase. But right now what mattered was Derek holding the black toy in his hand and it was disturbingly hot for some reason.<br/><br/>Right until he dropped it with a surprised expression. Stiles joined in the laughing because it was just so adorable in his opinion.<br/><br/>"Oh god, I saw nothing!" he giggled, reaching down to caress Derek's knee since he could reach only that in his exposed position. Then he moved that hand to gently cup his own balls and slightly pull them up to expose his mostly loosened hole even more.</p>
<p>"Okay... so start slowly. Tease my cock and balls first if you want before you move to my hole," he suggested, knowing how inexperienced Derek was with this. Not that he minded. He was always happy to teach his mate about new things when it came to their pleasure. And also encouraged him to discover on his own if he wanted.</p>
<p>Adjusting the setting of the vibrator and taking hold of it with the hand that wasn't slick with lube, Derek tested the way he could move it without dropping it, fingers at its base since he had handled dildos, just not the vibrating kind. The buzzing was louder than he thought it would be and familiar, and he made a face as he remembered when he had heard it before. Nope, not going to mention it, it was like a cold shower and taking an ice bath at the same time.<br/><br/>Instead he focused on his beautiful mate spread out like that, and he let the vibrator touch the full balls first, not sure what he was supposed to be doing with it. Draw invisible drawings, roll it around, press against the skin and hold it there? Inside of Stiles he of course understood that the vibrations against the prostate would feel amazing and it was like a cock then. But right now he felt a little ridiculous for not knowing what to do with a vibrator. He was an adult, he should know this.<br/><br/>"I'm not sure if I just… keep it there?" It was still resting on the testicles as he upped the vibration a little.</p>
<p>With half-hooded eyes, the amber irises shining through the long eyelashes, Stiles was watching Derek's every move in anticipation. Of course, he could feel his mate's uncertainty and maybe a bit of discomfort, but he just smiled softly at that. Yeah, he had a naked werewolf on the bed all baffled by a vibrator and looking at it as if it was a weapon. But his building laugh turned into a soft moan and some fidgeting once he released his balls to give way for the vibrating toy to make contact.<br/><br/>Then there was another, this time louder moan, when the vibrations came a bit stronger. Licking his suddenly dry lips, Stiles gently took Derek's wrist to guide his hand since his mate had no idea yet how to please him with the toy. Emphasis on the yet.<br/><br/>"It's okay. That feels good too. But slide it behind my balls, to my perineum. There are a lot of nerve-endings there so it makes that patch of skin very sensitive. That's why some people get a piercing there called a guiche piercing. Remember? I rubbed you there before and it felt awesome, right?" he asked a bit hoarser as he pulled his balls back up with his free hand, the other guiding Derek's hand enough to make the tip of the mostly cock-shaped vibrator to that patch of skin.<br/><br/>His body's reaction was instant. Stiles' thighs trembled and he had to remind himself to keep them open as an even louder moan left his moist lips, head pressed back into the pillow for a few moments as he sucked his stomach in. "Oh yes! Right there! Move it a little..." Stiles panted and groaned again, his hips slightly rocking against the toy's tip, his hole clenching.</p>
<p>"I know what a perineum is, Stiles," Derek grumbled but it was with a small smile on his face because the way his mate helped him with this was thoughtful, kind, but his voice betrayed some of his amusement though. Not that the wolf could blame him for it, since here was a tall muscular predator who had no idea what to do with a vibrator besides pushing it into a hole. He moved the hand holding the toy when Stiles guided him, letting the tip caress along the sensitive skin between the balls and asshole.<br/><br/>A piercing there. Where he knew from experience it was so sensitive, it was interesting but he doubted Stiles would be willing to get one there but considering how he reacted to the vibrator, the way his body twitched in pleasure, it would be something to consider.</p>
<p>"Hm," he hummed, loving the way his mate's body was responding. That wasn't something his fingers could create, nor his tongue, so yeah, he could understand the appeal of using toys.<br/><br/>Eyes wide, pupils blown, he watched how his mate was vocal while he moved the vibrator along the perineum and even went as far as teasing the twitching entrance with it before moving it back to the balls. Yeah, he really loved this, he was completely sold on the use of vibrators in their love making sessions. It allowed him to watch Stiles writhe while he barely had to focus on what he was doing. He was so beautiful like this, so sexy. So arousing!</p>
<p>Stiles wanted to say that he knew Derek knew what that patch of skin was called, but he was too busy gasping for air or moaning in turns. He soon let Derek's wrist go because he could tell his wolf was getting the hang of it fast. He swore he could feel the burning intensity of Derek's gaze on his arching and squirming body. Opening his eyes and looking down at his man, he held the eye-contact, feeling so wanton and hot for him and what they were doing.<br/><br/>"Oh god... Derek!" he groaned from the teasing then pulled his legs up to his chest, hooking an arm behind his knees to help himself stay in this new position, his most sensitive parts exposed for Derek to play with. "Please, don't stop. Feels so good!" he panted, feeling more wetness smear against his stomach.<br/><br/>Stiles loved how Derek could fully focus on him and what he was doing. To some degree it was fascinating and beautiful to Stiles. Not to mention how it usually brought happiness and pleasure to him.<br/><br/>His other hand curled into a fist around the already creased bed sheet. "What are you thinking? Talk to me, Derek..." he prompted in-between two moans.</p>
<p>"Many things," Derek returned, which said nothing at all, he just didn't feel like talking at the moment, he felt like doing. And sometimes having his head to himself without a mate plucking the random thoughts right from his head was needed so he felt like something was his. This moment where he was enjoying his mate's beauty splayed out while Derek played with him, that was his and he didn't want to share it, not even with Stiles right now. Later, when they were completely joined by their bodies, Stiles could pick up on it all. Later, not now.<br/><br/>If there was one way to shut up the human, it was to make sure there was something to moan about, as well as make sure Derek didn't have the option to reply. The tip of the vibrator was pushed inside the winking hole at the same time as soft lips took in the erection, and sucked on the hardened flesh to give various stimulations all at once.</p>
<p>A part of Stiles wasn't really surprised by the short reply or the tactic to stop him from demanding more words. Of course he had noticed that too, but then Derek's plan started to work and the human's eyes closed on the pleasure caused by his man's actions.<br/><br/>His painfully hard cock throbbed in the maddeningly hot and wet clasp of those lips and the toy vibrating against his entrance was so very intense that Stiles' loud yell of pleasure echoed through the loft. He couldn't really describe the feeling aside from being <em>sooo good</em>! So intense because of how responsive and sensitive his body usually was. His toes curled and his free hand shot up from the sheets to Derek's hair, the other firmly kept in place under his knees, even if his muscles jumped.<br/><br/>"Oh yes! Derek! More!" Stiles demanded as the pushy bottom he usually was and after a few deep breaths, he began rocking against the sucking mouth and the toy to feel it stimulate him deeper and more. It was always more with Derek...</p>
<p>The idea had been for a morning blowjob, a promise Derek was intent on keeping so no matter how much Stiles was going to beg him, the seed-spilling was going to be in his mouth. There was a certain relentless feel to the way he attacked his mate, pushing the vibrator in all the way at the same time as his mouth slipped lower. When he pulled the toy out, his mouth pulled away as well. Before he repeated the assault and hollowed his cheeks as well that time, sucking hard.<br/><br/>Stiles was enjoying it, that much was clear with how loud he got, how he clutched at the werewolf's hair, hard enough to pull a few strands out if he kept it up. The intensity of the vibrator was turned to full, and he made sure to suck hard, wanting to suck the orgasm right out of him. It was a clear signal that Stiles couldn't do anything but to give into the wordless demand.</p>
<p>While moaning his head off, Stiles could clearly feel the intentions of his mate. How determined he was to get to his... creamy filling, so to say, as if Stiles was the best kind of dessert. And fuck, his wolf was doing a very great job at pushing him quickly to the edge with the strong suction – as if he wanted to suck Stiles' already mushy brain out through his dick – and the intense vibrations in his tight ass. They were stimulating all his sensitive spots inside, especially his prostate.<br/><br/>The pleasure was nearly painful and Stiles decided to let Derek's hair and his legs go in favor of desperately holding onto the headboard. Partly not to make his man bald with tearing his hair out and partly to have more leverage to rock his hips back and forth, his legs pulled up and apart. This made him able to fuck up into that maddeningly hot mouth and slide his ass onto the thick vibrator.<br/><br/>Sweat started beading on his face and body, a healthy blush finally coloring his cheeks, the veins in his neck popping out from the loud continuous moans and groans and panting.<br/><br/>He was close... So close! And he wanted to come. He wanted to feed his mate with his cum and clench around that maddeningly vibrating toy. One glance down between his legs was the last straw. Seeing Derek so intent on sucking him dry while fucking him with the toy... it was all too much...<br/><br/>Shamelessly, Stiles roared his mate's name as his body arched and he threw his head back, arms shaking, knuckles around the headboard turning white, his hips moving erratically while his pulsing cock flooded his mate's mouth. As pleasure blinded him, a wave of magic washed over them, prickling and making their skin break out in goose bumps, the runes shining up on their forearms.<br/><br/>"Don't... stop!" the trembling lips managed to utter somehow. "Put your dick... in me... and keep fucking me..." The magic needed that to trigger the balancing and Stiles needed that even more to be fully one with his mate and give Derek just as much pleasure in return.</p>
<p>It was as much an overload to Derek as it was to Stiles, when the older man's mouth was flooded with the salty and bitter fluid while magic trickled around them. It rushed to his head as well as his arm, since both were connected with his mate's body, the electricity like current warming him with a jolt. As if he wasn't aroused enough already, he was so hard he was aching, but his focus had been on Stiles first. As the slowly softening erection pulsed the last drops in his mouth, he took his time sucking it all up like a hungry wolf despite the Spark's urgency to be filled. He hadn't done all this work to not get the treat he had been after. His arched eyebrow said as much when he sucked one last time.<br/><br/>He knew though, why Stiles said it. Without the encouragement, Derek would have waited for Stiles to have recovered since it was all about consent. The bossy words was all the encouragement he needed, so when he pulled off the soft cock with a slurping sound and wiped at the sticky wires of spit and cum, he also pulled out the vibrator. It was tossed onto the bed, fingers grappling for the lube to coat himself sloppily, twisting the palm of his hand around his straining erection only once. Hands made sure the legs were on his shoulders as he aimed himself at the wide open hole.<br/><br/>It was one easy slide home. Slick and warm, welcoming him inside without needing a pause. All of him with one sharp thrust of the hips. Derek wasn't sure if Stiles needed time to adjust, but he did! Usually it wasn't this easy to push inside and it punched the breath out of his lungs with a wanton moan.</p>
<p>Despite just getting an orgasm that rocked Stiles' whole world, he <em>needed</em> more. And the boiling up magic in him kept him in a kinda high state, keeping his body ready for his mate's cock without his prostate getting too sensitive. It was still intense and his cock might have softened to half-mast, but he didn't care. He needed Derek in him to fully become with him and balance the magic, so his stretched ass welcomed the intrusion. Stiles' moan echoed Derek's as that by then well-known feeling of being filled up so perfectly by his werewolf registered in his mushy brain.<br/><br/>The pale legs trembled on Derek's shoulders as the burning fire in them intensified and wanted to urge them both to move again.<br/><br/>"Fuck me... Please! Derek!" Stiles whined on the brink of completely falling apart and perhaps crying if his mate didn't move right the fuck then. Half-blindly, he moved his arm with the burning rune to reach for his mate, clasping the marked forearm to press the symbols together. The second he did that, his back arched again and he quivered around the thick cock with another loud moan, the magic bubbling up then quite literally exploding in and around them, pulsing with their joined heartbeat and gasps for air, burning through each cell in their bodies – and just like that Stiles was rock-hard again, his head swimming in pleasure and magic and all that was Derek.</p>
<p>Stiles didn't give him much time to get ready, the balancing had been too urgent so there was no blame when the connection rushed over Derek. It took what it needed, pulling magic from the wolf to refuel the Spark, all the while urging him to move, to keep the sexual connection going. Derek was barely aware of what he was doing at that point, he felt not only his need but that of his mate’s as well. It was a rush as usual, not knowing where he began and the other body ended.<br/><br/>His hips moved, as if possessed, fucking into the willing body with sharp and deep thrusts, the hard cock of Stiles brushing along his stomach each time. Leaning on his elbows, Derek hovered, his weight on his knees and arms so he had all the power to push into the wet body, his muscles rippling. Heat and gold flowed everywhere, trickling into his mate to give what he had left, to heal the weakened human body. Their pain joined, as his healing was used for the other.<br/><br/>It was so easy for Derek to give himself so fully without a thought. He’d do anything for his mate.</p>
<p>The bed creaked as the sweaty bodies moved together and everything got so heightened for Stiles, too. The previous dull tiredness which was brought upon his body by the exhaustion from using up too much magic was now gone. He could taste Derek's passion and love on his tongue even without kissing. He was surrounded and swimming in his mate's scent. His body felt like melting into one with Derek's, no longer knowing where he ended and Derek started. He could clearly hear their racing heartbeats and saw the fading black lines on the sweaty skin as the pain fully disappeared and got replaced by heat and passion.<br/><br/>He was grateful that he kept gripping the headboard before because now he had to press his palm against it to stop his head from hitting it with each deep thrust that was pushing Stiles towards the edge again. <em>So deep and wild</em>, he wanted to say to Derek, but he could only moan and gasp for air while the magic was flowing back and forth in them like hot waves.<br/><br/>How was it possible that sex could still get better between them? How were they even able to get out of bed in the first place?<br/><br/>"D-Derek..." Stiles' glowing and pleading eyes flashed up at the beast between his trembling legs, fingers digging deeper into the clasped forearm while their burning runes felt like melting together too to lock them together forever.</p>
<p>Derek's eyes briefly hooked with Stiles when he pleaded with his name, but there was no verbal acknowledgement. There wasn't one needed since it was a plea for Derek to finish them and the werewolf wasn't ready for that yet, though he was close. There was only a low grunt as he took his mate, a thickness starting to form at the base of his erection, which was another sign how close he was with the knot forming. Stiles didn't need to do anything but to hold on, to lie there and take it with the magic dancing around them.<br/><br/>The harsh slaps of their flesh meeting, echoed loudly around the bedroom. Quietly the alpha worked his way towards an orgasm, letting the sweat build on his body, the covers strewn on the floor. The knot grew thicker and thicker, making room within the tight human body with each push to prepare him for what was to come. A few more thrusts were all it took for the large knot to take, locking them together. Derek was even quiet with his orgasm, flooding his mate with watery semen as his body shivered.<br/><br/>But their connection made him loud. It didn't hide his emotions, it didn't hide his inner voice which was as loud as he was outwardly quiet. Maybe that's why they were good together, because Stiles could hear him where others turned deaf. Stiles took the time to know Derek, to know that within his silence was a whole language, one the young man translated fluently.</p>
<p>It was way too much yet so very perfect. Stiles started bracing himself for what was to come, because he felt the growing knot, but then changed his mind and let everything just happen as it was supposed to. He was so ready for everything his man offered and felt, because he felt the same way. And although he did cry out from the knot pushing him to his limits, it was from joy and want. And his hoarse, triumphant roar just after a few grinding motions against his prostate while he was being filled with Derek's essence, was born from pure ecstasy.<br/><br/>He could barely feel the mess he made between them, the cum that shot out and smeared on their stomachs and chests. All he felt was pleasure and his mate being fully one with him. Their souls melting together in a bright golden glow, wiping everything else away. In this space there was no Nemeton, no Council or Zepar or looming threats. It was purely them and their shared pleasure and love.<br/><br/>Stiles' trembling hand left the headboard to reach up and caress the sweaty shoulder and neck, up to the stubbly face while they were riding out their earth-shattering joined orgasm, his clamping ass never stopping lightly rocking against the deeply buried cock and knot, which kept them joined while the magic roamed freely in and around them, making their bodies and veins glow while they were gasping for air. A few satisfied moans slipped out of him too as he kept holding on to Derek, keeping him close, amber eyes watching him, seeing him, loving him. Because this man... this man and his happiness was everything to Stiles.</p>
<p>The silence between them was comfortable. Derek didn't worry about the rare moment of Stiles Stilinski being quiet because he felt the arms around his shivering body. He felt the way the eyes traced every part of his face as warm breath puffed into his hair. The wolf's face was resting on Stiles' shoulder, droplets of sweat cooling down as much as the pool of cum between them. Neither of them cared about the mess, there was going to be more of it once the knot had gone down and the erection was going to slip out.<br/><br/>It took a moment for Derek to catch his breath, never moving since their groins wasn't the only place where their bodies were connected, the runes were still pressed together as well. The many claw wounds on the alpha's body had healed from deep gauges to red lines, so the bandages weren't needed anymore and some of the butterfly strips which had kept his cheek together had slipped away.<br/><br/>"If this keeps getting better, then maybe at some point my mind is going to explode as much as my dick does." It was getting ridiculous. Was sex always like this? Better than any drug? Although Derek suspected the magic component did make it like a drug. His body got used to high amounts of it, no longer making him intoxicated on it but it seemed to help the sex to be... the out of this world kind.</p>
<p>"And my mind will completely melt and drip out of my ears or nose or something..." Stiles agreed with a hoarse chuckle. His legs were not on Derek's shoulders anymore but loosely around his body. He had no memory when they got into that position, but it wasn't important. At least his muscles weren't going to cramp. His free hand was lazily stroking the still sweaty warm back and up to Derek's nape to let his long fingers get lost in the damp hair.<br/><br/>Closing his still glowing eyes, Stiles let the magic ebb and flow a little bit more before he'd pull it back into his Spark, which was burning inside him bright again, just like their love. That corny thought made him smile to himself and fondly scratch Derek's nape.<br/><br/>"I was just thinking about sex with you while you were fucking me so perfectly I wanted to cry. It's never been this intense and good with anyone else," he admitted the obvious, but maybe Derek wanted to hear it again. "And it's crazy that it's still getting better and better. Maybe one day our hearts will burst too and we die of pleasure. That would be a death I'd be okay with," he chuckled again and turned his head enough to press a kiss into Derek's hair, with that also inhaling him deeply. (Not that they weren't drenched in each other's scent already.)<br/><br/>"Mind dripping out of our noses and our hearts bursting while we die of pleasure," Derek repeated with a dry tone, amused by the vivid imagery and although yes, dying while having sex with Stiles would be a great way to go, he was sick and tired of dying. At the moment, it would be nice to not die for a while, if that was possible. His eyes closed at the gentle kiss and the fingers caressing at the sweaty nape where his hair was clumped together.<br/><br/>"I never want to move again," Stiles stated, feeling much better and very content and happy with where he was and what they had just done. Also, his reluctance was because their runes, bodies and souls were still connected and these moments were when he felt the most complete, sated and calm. No nervous ticks and urge to move and talk and have his mind full of thoughts all the time. "You're my peace."</p>
<p>Obviously Derek wasn't willing to move either, with the way he was pancaked all over his mate without so much as a twitch in his limbs. Stiles was out of luck, because if he wanted Derek off of him in the very near future, he was going to have to do all the work.</p>
<p>"I'm your anchor, that's how it feels to have one." Stiles had been his for a very long time. His peace in the storms, his to go to thought when he was lost. The one to focus on when his emotions were all over the place. It didn't always work these days, because the torment of Hell had left its scars but he had gotten better at control the past month. With the help of the younger man, Derek was gaining his life back. Not the ruins that it usually was but one he had always been eager to have.<br/><br/>"I think moving is not going to be possible."</p>
<p>"I don't mind the not moving. You're right where I want you to be and where I want me to be," Stiles purred fondly. As long as he could breathe under the heavy and warm werewolf body, he was okay. His fingers continued carding through the dark hair while the thumb on his other hand caressed Derek's warm skin where his grip lessened on the forearm. The burning in their connecting runes ebbed down to a light prickling sensation. The balancing was done, but it felt good to let the magic lazily roam freely in them for a little longer and Derek didn't seem to mind either being connected threefold like this.<br/><br/>"I know you're my anchor. I've known that for a long time too. Around after the Nogitsune when I was recovering and missing you," Stiles murmured, closing his still shimmering amber eyes too. He didn't like to think or talk about those difficult times, but sometimes he mentioned it to Derek. Just like his mate did with the Hell memories. He loved that if they felt like it, they could talk about even such things freely.</p>
<p>"I didn't know you missed me." Okay, so Derek hadn't been aware of much at the time, since he had been kidnapped the moment he had returned to his loft once the Nogitsune had been defeated. And apparently he had been sleeping beauty for weeks in an abandoned church in Mexico. From what he had been told, Scott had been the one to realize Derek was gone. He never realized Stiles had actually missed him too. But in a way it made sense. "Maybe that's why the Nogitsune was so intent on getting me out of the way."<br/><br/>Derek had returned without Cora to spend his time worrying about Stiles, searching for Stiles and then was locked up in a cell for days. Only to get blown up, patched up and back in a cell for more days. The only interaction with Stiles had been when the Nogitsune had beaten him up. So yeah, Derek hadn't been part of that and hadn't been there for Stiles in a way he would have liked to.</p>
<p>"I know you didn't know back then, but I did. Until Scott realized that you were gone for sure and we came up with the plan to break you free from the Calavera family because we thought they had you, I just thought you were off to do your own thing," Stiles nodded against Derek's head, brushing his cheek against the hair to scent some more.<br/><br/>It was a difficult time for Stiles with lots of nightmares, therapy and guilt. And most of it he kept hidden from his friends, not wanting them to think he was weaker than they probably already thought of him. Not just for being the human of the pack but for letting a Japanese spirit possess him. He needed Derek around back then too, without really realizing it. It only came off as missing him.<br/><br/>"Maybe the Nogitsune already knew what I didn't back then. That you were more important to me already and tried to eliminate the possibility of you rescuing me. Hence the beating up and blowing up part..." Stiles mused, slightly frowning from the memories.</p>
<p>Off doing his own thing, that was pretty much what Derek’s theme had been back then. Not answering texts or calls, disappearing without a word for weeks. It was pretty normal behavior for Derek Hale. Still was in a way, although now that he had a daughter and mate, he no longer disappeared without a trace. He had never blamed others not knowing he was missing each time he had been kidnapped. That was more of a case of karma. But he did regret missing out on important events he should have been part of, should have been there for support. Especially now, when Stiles was carrying so much of his load regarding Hell.<br/><br/>"Don't think about it badly, it wasn't you. If it had been you, I'm sure I would be actually dead." The Nogitsune obviously hadn't counted on the Hale resilience, Stiles would have.</p>
<p>"I know it wasn't me and that I shouldn't blame myself for what it did while controlling me. But I do still blame myself for opening that door ajar out of curiosity and allowed Void to use that darkness to exploit me to wreak havoc like that. But it's something I had more or less learned to live with. I think about it less ever since I came back here and found you again," he smiled a bit at the end, his eyes closing and a soft sigh slipping through his lips from the gentle tracing of the tattoo on his chest. As usual, because of the magic laced within the tattoo, it reacted to his mate's touch by warming and shining up a bit, leaving goose bumps and a pleasurable tingling there.<br/><br/>"You did a ritual to save your parent, you with Scott and Allison. That darkness wasn't even remotely your fault." That darkness was still part of Scott too, even though he never had mentioned it again. It seemed he had fought against it and it wasn't bothering him anymore, but it was still there, just not a problem. And Stiles was handling it, after the Nogitsune. "You made a choice to sacrifice a part of yourself, there's no blame there."</p>
<p>Derek's fingers traced the anti-possession tattoo without opening his eyes, he knew exactly where it was. "At least it can never happen again."<br/><br/>The wrinkles smoothed out only when Derek mentioned that it cannot happen again. Derek meant the possession. "Yeah, the anti-possession tattoo is on my chest for a good reason. But you already knew that."<br/><br/>Opening his eyes, Stiles stared up at the high ceiling above them and sighed a bit. "Although I'm not sure it'd protect against the Nemeton. Not that it could possess me like Void did, but it could take over if I let it. Was so close to that when I saw you bleed out on its trunk. I'm a bit concerned about willingly going to touch it to see what it wants."</p>
<p>The Nemeton was for sure a different kind of danger. Not a demon taking hold of a human body. The magic might not even see the tree as an intruder at all, but more like an extension.</p>
<p>"Not to alarm you more, Stiles, but... it had made me sleepwalk to it a few times to get a blood sacrifice. It's been very quiet since our bonding." Not to mention it had gotten its sacrifice not long ago and it didn't seem it wanted more at quicker intervals. Blood kept it alive and maybe with a Darach back in town, it needed less of Derek and more of Stiles' magic.</p>
<p>"Well... let's hope that no sleepwalking will happen on my part. Or yours, for that matter. Maybe it'll stick to the dreams for now. But it's something I'll have to soon look into. Before the dreams might become not enough..." Stiles sighed, letting his fingertips trace the swirling lines of the Triskelion tattoo on the middle of Derek's back in return for the favor. "But one thing I know for sure: I'm so very glad that I still have you, Derek. I'd be so lost without your help and love."</p>
<p>It was weird to hear somebody say they'd be lost without him, usually it was something completely the opposite. Sure, Derek had been needed before, but nothing like this. Not that who he was mattered to another person, and his help was invaluable. It humbled him, made him grow quiet in a different way, the brooding way. The almost shy side of him not knowing how to handle such compliments. It made him feel more naked than their bodies were. "You'll always have me."</p>
<p>"You know... I'm more grateful than I can tell just how much I appreciate that, Derek. You'll always have me too. You're my everything. Our lives are so entwined by now that I don't think I'd ever be able to live a full life without you anymore. If I didn't die, I'd be only a shell of myself. Or go completely dark until someone put me out of my misery. Dunno. But I don't want to ever experience that either. I want to focus on our future. A brighter future. With us and building a family and pack. I want that more than anything."<br/><br/>It was true. For years Stiles had indulged in secretly fantasizing about how living and having a family and pack would be with Derek. And the seemingly impossible became possible somehow. He was mated and engaged to the love of his life (at this point it was no exaggeration to think of Derek like that). And it was a rare thing, he knew. He wanted all that. Kids, a caring pack and strength to be able to protect all that and face whatever they might have to face.</p>
<p>Even though Derek knew it was a possibility, he didn't want to think about Stiles being left alone like that, going dark and becoming what he never wanted to be, only to die a shell of the man he was. Sure, werewolves turned old, he was supposed to 'outlive' his mate but with how often he had died already, growing old wasn't something he was going to achieve. And if Stiles went before him, he'd most likely go too, or go insane since the wall would be gone. Their fates were entwined forever now, something they had known beforehand and yet it had been unstoppable. And yeah, he didn't want to think about their ending when their life together had only just begun.<br/><br/>Finally he opened his eyes, to look up at his mate from under his lashes. "We're going to have a whole army of kids running around, you promised. This building will be filled with pack and other supernaturals needing a home. You'll be a successful detective here and I'll be right here, taking care of our family. And you'll return home to be greeted by warmth and love." It was a wish, but also a promise. "We'll leave a legacy. We'll leave this world knowing we had all we ever wanted."<br/><br/>Pretty much all Derek wanted was to be able to have a family again, to sit on a porch and watch them all become whatever they wanted to become. To finally be at peace. Stiles offered that to him, even with the rocky road ahead. He kissed the tattoo and closed his eyes. They had to clean up, but for now, there was no rush in anything at all.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. 19: Emissary - Part 5</h2></a>
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  <strong>19: Emissary – Part 5</strong>
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<p>By the time Zepar contacted them with a short outside visit to their building in two days, both Stiles and Derek were mostly healed and the magic refilled and settled in them. Enough to be ready for the meeting with this mysterious Leader and Zepar near the Nemeton's clearing around nightfall that day.<br/><br/>It gave the mates some time to prepare and talk over what they should ask and what they'd have to do in different scenarios. Zepar had told them that it was only going to be the Leader and him, but neither fully believed that. Which was no surprise after the reputation the rival alpha had managed to build for himself in the last few months.<br/><br/>"So... we mainly go with the diplomatic approach, right?" Stiles asked as he sat behind the wheel of his Jeep. They had decided to go with that since it was better built for the rough terrain they'd have to navigate on until they reached the rendezvous point.<br/><br/>He's been buzzing all day with anticipation and nerves, because finally they might get real answers. Emphasis on the 'might'. They didn't really know what to expect, though. This Leader might try to lie to them or provoke them to coax some reaction probably mostly from Stiles. Or they might attack the mates. Which were all possibilities Derek and Stiles tried to get ready for.<br/><br/>He was drumming impatiently on the steering wheel with his fingers while waiting for a red light to turn green. It felt better for him to drive and do something instead of just sitting on the passenger seat like a bundle of nerves. Well, he was like that anyways too, making his irises lightly shimmer in their usual amber color when the magic was close to the surface, but at least with driving he had something else to focus on too besides reining in the magic as much as possible.<br/><br/>"Although I'll go berserk on their asses if they try to hurt you again. I had enough of that," he said even before Derek had the chance to react anything to his question.</p>
<p>"I doubt they will, they're done with their tests so either they will talk to us or we'll have to fight for our lives." Not that they were interested in killing him, they were after Stiles if they considered him a danger but there was no way Derek was going to stand by and watch. So yeah, it was possible that they were about to walk into what possibly could be the fight of their lives. They were prepared for it, they were healed, they knew how to work together so Stiles' magic could amplify the Alpha but… they were up against very old and strong beings.<br/><br/>Derek sat calmly and collected in the passenger's seat, Stiles was enough of a nervous energy next to him. Too used to these life and death situations, the werewolf didn't think about it too much, they could die. Sure. They could walk away unscathed, they could be badly injured. One thing he knew for certain: he was going to make damn sure Stiles was going to walk away from this alive, no matter the cost.</p>
<p>"Let's try to play it smart. We ask them why and we make sure they realize you're not some bomb about to go off, that we have it under control. We try to work with them, though I prefer not being tied to them after today. But whatever it takes." If there were hunters watching him as alpha, then adding a Druid Council watching Stiles wasn't that much of a difference.<br/><br/>They were not evil, they were not going to turn dark, they had nothing to hide. "Hopefully we can get some information about the Nemeton, what your connection means, what my connection means. If they're willing to share." Druids hadn't been exactly forthcoming with information, or at least the ones they knew. It could also be a complete bust.</p>
<p>"Yeah... yeah, you're right. We should be level-headed about this. It's just that they had caused so much pain for both of us and through us to the people we love... And they managed to mostly destabilize me with playing on my emotions. I'm not stupid, I had noticed that tactic and can feel it too. I'm terrified of losing you and my control," Stiles stated those facts with a somewhat cooler head. "I cannot let them get to me. You cannot let them get to you either. Because if there's going to be a fight, it won't be pretty, that's for sure," he mumbled as they reached the edge of the Preserve and Stiles led the Jeep off onto a dirt road.<br/><br/>"We'll also have to figure out who the mole is. They know too personal things. Maybe we get lucky and they slip up some way so we can figure out who talked to them about us," Stiles mused. It was something that's been bothering him ever since they had realized that fact. And the list of suspects hasn’t narrowed down ever since. It kept him up some nights, leaving him standing in front of his board or on the roof garden to let Derek sleep.<br/><br/>His frown only deepened when soon the Jeep stopped to a halt near the place by a small creek where they were supposed to meet and Stiles stayed still for a few moments, taking a deep breath from the forest air coming through the rolled down window. "Either way, we have to be smart about this," he said and closed his eyes, letting some of his magic go to map out the area. They were a little early, but that was on purpose. To try to see if they were walking into a trap or not.</p>
<p>"I already know who the mole is." Derek had been keeping quiet about it, since admitting that would also lead to the whole Kate talk. Stiles hadn't asked yet, but he was going to want to know what Zepar had hinted at. He mostly wanted this to be over with first before they handled what was no doubt going to be very unpleasant. If they survive today. He also didn't say more, in case Zepar was close by and was here early. "Later," he promised. Right now it didn't matter.<br/><br/>The alpha inhaled deeply, shaking his head. Nothing. Not that would be saying much, they could mask their scents and heartbeats and he wouldn't be the wiser. Stiles might get more with the magic since that was not so easy to hide. His muscles were ready, his entire body was geared up in case of an attack, he had to be ready for anything, it could be the difference between life or death.<br/><br/>He hadn't liked the meeting place, too close to the Nemeton, too much temptation for Stiles to tap into its power if they were going to fight. Perhaps that's why it had been chosen. It certainly wasn't neutral ground. The Preserve belonged to Derek. The tree? It belonged to itself. Mostly. It did seem to prefer the young couple so maybe it would aid them for a change instead of soaking up blood.</p>
<p>With a sigh, the older man quietly got out of the car, keeping the door open as he let his eyes roam. Crickets were chirping, the night creatures were slowly emerging now that it was dusk, but nothing more.</p>
<p>Stiles wanted to pester a reply out of Derek about the identity of the mole, but with his powers loose, he could tell that Derek was set on the task ahead and would keep himself to his "later" comment, so instead Stiles just grunted and stayed behind the wheel with closed eyes for a few more minutes.<br/><br/>He knew when Derek got out of the Jeep. Behind his closed eyelids he could kinda see his mate's familiar golden and red energies swirling aware like the wolf was. Otherwise he could trace only a few nearby animals' presence.<br/><br/>Opening his glowing amber eyes, he pulled the magic back just a bit so it could alert him if something came closer to them.<br/><br/>"They aren't here yet. Let's head to the creek," Stiles joined Derek on the other side of the car, stroking along his forearm to calm and ground perhaps both of them a bit. Then keeping his guards up, he led the way and stopped near some big rocks. Hopping up on one while mapping out the small clearing and the surrounding trees, he hummed, shaking his head for Derek as if saying 'still nothing'.<br/><br/>So now came the waiting part. Which was something Stiles hated to do because of his restless nature.</p>
<p>Waiting wasn't pleasant, especially not when it was in these kinds of circumstances but the Hale would rather wait so they had the advantage than to come here ill prepared. Derek glanced at Stiles who was perched on a rock, looking restless even though he was constantly using his magic to scan the surroundings. The alpha crossed his arms, spread his legs a little to keep himself grounded, often his to-go-to stance. They didn't speak, because they were comfortable in one another's silence and didn't need to blanket it anymore with babble. Not that Derek was much for small talk, but anything they spoke right now could be overheard so he wasn't going to chance it.<br/><br/>Stiles didn't need to say anything about them arriving, Derek knew around the same time as the Spark did, because there was a distinct change in the atmosphere, a rise in the electrical charges, as if a thunderstorm was about to erupt. Zepar had masked his scent, probably used to doing that around whoever it was he brought with him. Somebody part of the Druid Council.<br/><br/>The tall alpha emerged, and with him was an older woman, perhaps not dressed in any typical way befitting a high druid, not anything Derek had expected. Perhaps something black, or a New Age dress. Instead she was wearing a suit, a neat fit, clearly tailored to her body and there was an aura of power surrounding her. It made Derek instinctively uncomfortable, as well as the look she threw their way. She wasn't too amused with the change of plans, yet she had agreed to a meeting.<br/><br/>Straightening his stance, Derek moved closer to Stiles.</p>
<p>That move wasn't missed by Stiles or the newcomers. The former jumped off the rock and stepped next to Derek to be a united front.<br/><br/>"That's close enough," Stiles said to Zepar and the black woman who had runes running up on both sides of her neck, barely visible from her dark skin color. The black thick hair was put up in an elaborate yet elegant bun as she stopped in the middle of the small clearing, Zepar looming a step behind her, eyes aware and stance calm yet protective.<br/><br/>"To be honest, I expected some hood or cape or something," Stiles murmured, maybe a tad bit disappointed in her appearance. It made the woman faintly smile, though.<br/><br/>"At long last, the current Stilinski Spark and his familiar, the Hale Alpha," she said, her voice calm and somewhat deep. "I am the Leader of the Druid Council."<br/><br/>"I'd say it's a pleasure, but I don't like to lie. And given the circumstances and the fact that you guys have put us through some pretty painful tests, I think it's understandable that we aren't too thrilled from your presence. Yet, we appreciate your willingness to meet us here," Stiles said, staying mostly diplomatic instead of offensive. After all, he had to be here more in his Emissary role than the hot-headed Spark he could be. They had to persuade these people and through them the Druid Council that he wasn't a threat and that he could keep it together.</p>
<p>"I think it's understandable why we tested you, wouldn't you agree? You made the choice to use your Spark and utilize magic. You made the choice to bond with an alpha which furthered your progress and then some unfortunate events took place," the older woman admonished. "We weren't so thrilled either to have to come here and make certain you weren't a threat."<br/><br/>Derek didn't like the way it was turned around on them, as if that excused the route they had taken, as if that made the injuries okay. He had nearly died twice, and he certainly hadn't asked for it.</p>
<p>"No," his eyes narrowed at the other couple, his voice cold and low. "You should have talked to us. What you did was cruel and unneeded. Regarding the lives of others, my life, as not important. But then, we weren't supposed to be alive to have this conversation, were we?"<br/><br/>"We have not decided on that yet."<br/><br/>It wasn't a good enough answer for the Hale and he growled at that. They had proven themselves ten times over and this leader of the Druid Council didn't even think that was enough. "We're not killers, we balance one another. Stiles isn't going to go dark like Julia. We let Zepar go, that should be enough proof."<br/><br/>"Julia had an unhealthy obsession with you, Mr. Hale, and now you're with another druid, even more powerful than her. Mister Stilinski is unstable, that we can see and you are both connected to the Nemeton. Our concern is with that. Don't you find it curious that you have ended up with a powerful druid yet again? You're always at the heart of things, Mr. Hale. Where you are, trouble follows. You're not suited to be bonded to a talent such as Stiles, yet here we are. Perhaps you're the one who corrupted the Nemeton. A necromancer and a dark Spark should not be kept alive."</p>
<p>This wasn't good. The woman and Zepar knew too much and they had to be careful with Derek to avoid further unnecessary fights.<br/><br/>"Neither of us asked for any of this, but things still happened. I think we grew up to the task pretty well in a very short period of time," Stiles said, putting a hand onto Derek's forearm to calm him down. The gesture wasn't lost on the other pair, just like Stiles didn't miss the way Zepar took half a step closer to the Leader, as if preparing to protect her with his life if it came to that. The air was charged enough to make everyone's hairs stand on end, that was for sure.<br/><br/>"And who are you to judge what had happened? Or to decide over our lives? I thought druids believe that things happen for a reason. That's one of the cornerstones in druid belief, isn't it?" Stiles raised a brow.<br/><br/>"True..." the woman said after a pause.<br/><br/>"So if that's the case, then Derek and I became the protectors of this town and the Nemeton for a reason. Or you want to go against the will of such an ancient sacred tree? We seem to be have chosen by it. And we are ready to be the protectors. We've always been that, even before our connections were established with the Nemeton or bonding for life. Can you say it without a doubt that you know what the tree wants? That our roles here aren't to keep the balance on the long run?"</p>
<p>"Julia's darkness made this all happen, not us," Derek chimed in, even though he wanted nothing more than to charge at the woman and shut her up, but he didn't. Stiles' gesture reminded him that keeping a cool head was the best way to get out of this alive. For now. Because it felt like they were buying time, they had been judged unfit already. "Her rituals strengthened the Nemeton, it forced Stiles and the True Alpha to let in darkness, resulting in the Nogitsune. Stiles beat that with the pack's help, and despite the darkness lingering, he never was a bad person. It awakened the Spark in him, and as the curious person he is, he explored it. There are no crimes here. We made the best out of bad situations while your Council stood by and watched."<br/><br/>It was clear there was no hiding anything since the woman knew it all, was well aware of everything that had happened in their lives. The invasion of that kind of privacy made Derek bristle inside, but he rolled with it. So if it was all known, then he was going to lay it all out. Like Stiles did.</p>
<p>"I didn't want to give my blood to the Nemeton. It was forced on me when it happened. I haven't abused it, didn't use it to see if I could bring my family back. I didn't tell others to prevent them from being tempted to raise loved ones from the dead. Stiles didn't know he was that powerful, we certainly didn't realize what us dating would lead to. We're careful, we use the magic to protect, we don't abuse our powers to be killers. The Nemeton picked us, and my family has been here for generations to be the protectors."<br/><br/>He took a breath, not used to talking this much and as the leading Druid wanted to open her mouth, he was quick to cut her short. "I'm not done." The wolf took a little pleasure in seeing her taken back by that. "You're right, I'm not worthy of Stiles, not because of his Spark but because he's an amazing person who could have been a big shot FBI agent exploring the world. I am suited to be his mate. I chose him. I will die for him and I will end his life if he ever should go dark. He made me promise that, knowing fully that I won't ever break a promise. So either you help us to be the protectors you need us to be, or this is going to be a fight where only two of us will walk away from alive. He is my everything and you're not taking that away from me."</p>
<p>Hearing all that, Stiles had to take his eyes off the other two for a long moment and look at Derek with so many emotions in his eyes. He didn't even care if their 'enemy' saw it.<br/><br/>"I know it's not the time and place to say it, but I never wanted you more than now," he told Derek, his hand sliding down from the wolf's forearm to the hand curled into a fist and interlocked their fingers. It made his lazily swirling magic react a bit, lighting up their joined aura and settling over them like a warm blanket of balance.<br/><br/>"Leader, if I may..." It was Zepar, trying to speak for the first time since he had stepped onto the clearing with his druid.<br/><br/>"No, you don't," she cut him off, her tone soft and a bit far away, as if thinking about something while watching the mates. "I know what you want to say and I also know you've grown fond of these two despite doing your duty as you were supposed to do." What is it about these two? One has to be special to be able to make something like that happen. All her life since she'd known Zepar, he had no soft spot for anyone. Until these two.<br/><br/>There was another pause as the woman was watching the Spark and his Wolf, her own obeying her wishes and for a change staying silent. Both that and the fact that she said Zepar had a soft spot for them surprised the mates a bit.<br/><br/>"Not to mention that it was you two who made me unstable," Stiles said seemingly out of the blue as he turned his lightly shimmering gaze back at the Leader. But it was natural for him to refer back to previous topics with the busy brain of his. And now it was important to persuade this woman, who had too much power over their fate to Stiles' liking. "But I overcame it, even when my mate died and I had to revive him. With him on my side, I can do that easier. So maybe stop trying to kill him if you are so worried about me going dark and posing a danger to everyone..." Sarcasm. Because that could never stay hidden in Stiles' case for long.<br/><br/>The Leader didn't seem to mind it, though, because that shadow of a smile was back on her face.<br/><br/>"Very well then... The situation calls for a compromise. I don't wish to fight the two of you or risk my wolf's life in another confrontation. The Council will grant you a chance to prove yourselves as the protectors you two claim yourselves to be. But we'll be watching from the shadows and you'll probably see Zepar time after time too. But let this be also a warning. If you go dark and a danger for some reason, neither of you will survive. The Council is there for a reason, even if you don't understand half of it why."</p>
<p>"Zepar is welcomed here," Derek made sure to only mention the alpha because even though they probably were going to have to deal with the Druid Council over the coming years, they were very unwelcomed. Zepar on the other hand, despite what he had done, had followed orders and Derek had a feeling that under that gruff exterior, there was a werewolf he might actually like. "We also work with Deaton. If he's willing, we'll be okay with him updating the Council on us."<br/><br/>Deaton was one of the few druids Derek trusted. He wasn't the mole and he had helped them without asking anything in return. Even though his reasons were dubious, he had never done anything that had outright harmed them. In the past he mostly didn’t help Derek when it could have made a difference, thought in truth, the Hale hadn't made it easy on him either. As he was planning on not making it easy on this woman who hadn't even told them her name.</p>
<p>"If he goes dark, I will stop him. That’s my right. And you know that will be the end of me as well."<br/><br/>"Yes, that is a fate you cannot escape, no matter how much time has passed for the bonds to settle. You're his familiar <em>and</em> his mate. With just one of those bonds you would have made it, but having both has sealed your life to his. Without him, you will have a few weeks at most."<br/><br/>"I don't regret that," Derek shrugged. She wasn't telling him anything he didn't know already. As long as they could be together in the afterlife, then when that eventually happened, he'd be at peace with it.</p>
<p>Stiles very much didn't like talking about their deaths, but he understood that it was important to make this druid understand that they had thought about such scenarios too. And that they had a plan in place if he ever went dark and wanted to go on a killing spree or something.<br/><br/>"I wouldn't want a life without Derek either. And without my familiar I wouldn't last long. The magic would kill me soon enough. Or I'd do the same to myself to prevent others from getting hurt," Stiles said bloody seriously, meaning every word, that was clear to all of them present.<br/><br/>"Spoken like a true protector. Good," the Leader nodded. "Deaton I trust. He's fond of the two of you as well and I trust his judgment. I'll receive updates from him then," she agreed. "Your bonds and love are strong and healthy. You did overcome the hardships we rolled in your way, indeed. I'll give you that," she continued then looked at Stiles, addressing him this time. "Your control over your Spark and the magic is remarkable for a young wielder with little guidance. I give credit where it's due," she nodded with some respect.<br/><br/>Stiles returned the gesture as acknowledgement, his hand still in Derek's, his thumb drawing nervous little circles on the warm skin because of course he couldn't stand still for long.<br/><br/>"What is it, young Spark? There's something else on your mind too," the woman slightly tilted her head to the right, studying Stiles and his energies.<br/><br/>"I think it's understandable why I don't trust you at all... especially since I don't know even your name or what the Council's real goal is... But I have questions regarding the Nemeton and I'm not sure even Deaton has answers to that. If it's true that you know much more then you might care to answer some of these questions."<br/><br/>Zepar visibly relaxed behind her when she chuckled lightly. "You have a sharp tongue and some wits to you, just like how my wolf said. Very well... My name is Violet. You can ask your questions and I might give you an answer if it suits me."<br/><br/>Stiles snorted and rolled his eyes at that, but relaxed a bit too – not that he'd let his guard down around these two, though. It was nice of Derek to 'welcome' Zepar, but the other alpha would have to prove himself to Stiles big time after everything he'd done to them. He didn't take it lightly when someone tortured and killed his mate...<br/><br/>"I've been having some... dreams about the Nemeton and can feel my connection to it stronger lately. Why is that?"<br/><br/>"Are you sure they are dreams and not visions? What you should do?" she asked back then paused for a moment before continuing. "You felt like you were under attack lately because of Zepar and the tests we've put you through. That explains why you might have felt that connection stronger to the tree as protector. What did you see?"<br/><br/>Visions? That might be possible too, right? Stiles wasn't sure because he didn't have much to go on.<br/><br/>"Makes sense... You didn't make us think of you anything other than a threat to our lives and the peace of this town," Stiles agreed. "I saw myself touching the Nemeton. Not the corrupted dark parts. The healthy one. It's been calling to me to do that. What would happen if I gave in? And what do you think it wants from me? We have our theories, but I'd like to hear yours first, Violet..."</p>
<p>"It wants to communicate with you. The touch would allow that. The few Nemetons in the world alive all have a druid they connected with. I can't tell you what it wants, I don't know."</p>
<p>Violet was honest with those words, Derek couldn't detect a lie and he understood why she was willing to let them live. If there were so few Nemetons left, then Stiles communicating with one seemed to be a very good reason not to kill him when he hadn't gone dark.<br/><br/>"What if it wants more sacrifices?" the alpha asked, because that seemed to be a likely outcome.<br/><br/>"Druids did sacrifices to the Nemetons. It was a yearly ritual which got lost during modern times. The sacrifices kept it healthy, gave it energy and magic. Especially pure ones. It was an honor then to be given to the tree."<br/><br/>That wasn't much of an answer, but she was a druid still, of course she wouldn't get straight to the point. Derek however didn't want to sacrifice innocent lives to it, once was more than enough for him. And Julia certainly gave it a lot of lives. He glanced at Stiles when Violet did too.<br/><br/>"Are there more questions?"</p>
<p>Stiles stayed silent for a few moments, thinking through what Violet was saying. Frankly, it made sense that the Nemeton tried to communicate with him through touch and that's why it sent such dreams or visions. That much Stiles had figured out on his own too. It also made sense that this woman couldn't know what the magical tree wanted from him since all such sacred trees were different and if each has a connection to one chosen druid then it makes sense others don't know their 'wishes'.<br/><br/>"What kind of a sacrifice? You're talking about the animal and elemental sacrifices, not the human ones which would be required for dark stuff, right?" Because yes, Stiles had read quite a few druid books by now to know about annual sacrifices for the Nemetons.<br/><br/>"Yes, not necessarily human sacrifices. I see you're trying to catch up with the druid ways. I assume Deaton helped you out with that."<br/><br/>"Yeah. He and his books can be useful. I had to learn a lot in a short time."<br/><br/>"That's what we heard too," Violet confirmed. "It seems that your... mixed past with the Nemeton makes you careful. Which is good. As you have to know by now, magic is a curious thing. It can be helpful and dangerous too. You seek reassurance that touching the tree won't be harmful. I do not know if that is going to be the case if you touch it. This Nemeton of yours has been a curious one all its life and went through some unfortunate 'traumas' with it being cut down and then used by a dark druid for selfish gains. You are wise to be careful with it, but I wouldn't advise ignoring its call for long."<br/><br/>"So you say I should touch it and see what it wants?" Stiles raised a brow, a bit still surprised that for once a druid gave him a more or less clear answer.<br/><br/>"Yes," the Leader nodded. "You and your familiar were chosen for a reason. And we'll be watching... Just in case."<br/><br/>"Just in case..." Stiles grumbled with another eye-roll.<br/><br/>"Our work here is done for now. We're leaving town, but Zepar will circle back in a few weeks," she nodded towards the towering wolf who moved with one of his trade mark smirks towards Stiles, presenting a black name card with a phone number in silver on it.<br/><br/>"Call me if you need help or whenever you get bored of this guy," he smirked and winked at Stiles, obviously meaning his mate.<br/><br/>"That's not gonna happen, but thanks," he took the card with the number he knew they'll never call unless there was an emergency. Then they watched the pair walk off and disappear in the trees.</p>
<p>When the two left, Derek exhaled. This went easier than he had expected it to go, and part of him didn't think it was over because anything that was too easy would come back to bite them in the ass. Of course, he didn't speak yet, he waited to make sure they were out of hearing distance as he sat down on the rock Stiles had been perched on not too long ago. Far away a car was started and he finally looked at Stiles with raised eyebrows.<br/><br/>"I don't think she likes me." Understatement. He was probably only alive because he was Stiles' familiar, as she kept referring to him instead of alpha. No doubt because the Alpha Spark had not been his. It was gained by killing another alpha, to save his own life. It had been a just kill, not some power trip. Honestly, he didn't care what some council thought of him, he was way too used to being seen as something negative to let it get to him. Waste of energy.<br/><br/>"What are you thinking?" They bought some time. That was one thing, but they were going to be watched, they were going to have to be careful. It could have been so much worse.</p>
<p>"That we're alive because even this Violet is curious what will become of us," Stiles said and finally tore his eyes away from the spot where the other two had disappeared minutes ago. He turned around and hopped up on the rock next to Derek, their sides touching from shoulder to knee as Stiles slid his hand into a big warm one.<br/><br/>"And that yes, she doesn't like you, but we don't like her either," he said, lifting the name card closer to memorize the number. Just in case. "Part of me is glad that this went easier than expected. But another part is left feeling uneasy about it," he sighed and rubbed Derek's hand with his thumb like he so often did when they were holding hands.<br/><br/>"And another part of me, the one that can feel the pull of the Nemeton, wants to go to the stump to touch it right now. Since we are so close," he added with closed eyes, listening to the barely there humming and pulses of energy he could feel even in the rock underneath them.</p>
<p>"Now?" Derek wasn't sure if they should go now, even though Violet had urged Stiles not to keep the Nemeton waiting for long. It made sense though, they were close to it, so why ignore the attempt to get communication going when they were right there? Because Derek didn't trust the tree and what it could do. Because the stump was colored red thanks to his blood soaking into the wood repeatedly. Because they should be cautious.<br/><br/>Glancing at their joined hands, he tightened his fingers around the thinner digits while Stiles kept rubbing his thumb along his skin. "If you really want to do this, I can't stop you." He'd rather go back home after picking up their daughter and focus on a wedding that was happening very soon and they hadn't done much for. The tree was going to get them into more trouble, he was sure of it, because it was going to want something. Animal sacrifices seemed way too easy after all the human sacrifices it had gotten.<br/><br/>"Something she said made me think. And I know I'm not supposed to voluntarily give blood but... what if it turned dark because all of it wasn't by choice and we can change that by making it a choice?" Which meant no animal sacrifices either, they had no choice. They would have to get creative in their offerings, dig into the past what all would suffice.</p>
<p>To that suggestion Stiles opened his eyes and looked at Derek with a light frown. "It turned dark because there was dark intention behind the sacrifices. The blood spilled being involuntarily shouldn't matter that much. Magic is mostly about intention. Julia's intentions were dark and that infected a part of the Nemeton. Yes, there were customs in several cultures in the past where the human sacrifices were willing too. Because they believed they served the purpose they were chosen for. To protect, to accompany the dead in the afterlife, to bring a fertile and rich year to the lands... And sure, if the sacrifice is willing, it makes things easier, but in the end, the magic wielder's intention is what really determines what course the magic will take," he explained and lightly tugged on Derek's hand.<br/><br/>"If you're thinking of willingly giving from your blood as sacrifice, I'm not comfortable with that. Not before we learn more about Nemetons and the connections they can have with a chosen druid. I do believe that we were chosen for some purpose. And Violet's words make sense that I might be the druid this one chose. Because if we look just at the fact that out of Allison, Scott and me only I felt that connection the strongest and let the darkness in enough for the Nogitsune to possess me... I think out of the three of us, it's always been me because of my sensitivity and Spark heritage. Scott and at one point even Allison might have been protectors of this land too, but neither of them felt this connected or dreamed with the Nemeton like I do," he lightly shook his head and stared at his bony knees.<br/><br/>"And if this is really this important... that even the Druid Council might want to see what happens, we have to get more information, do much more research before I could attempt to touch that tree. The old me might have already done it, but now... now I have other responsibilities too. You, our daughter and a wedding to plan. And we need some rest before our next big supernatural adventure. We just closed our most recent one, for now," he smiled a bit then leaned his head onto Derek's shoulder, feeling drained and tired.</p>
<p>"That's what I was thinking," Derek agreed. Research, rest, planning a wedding, focusing on little things like cake tasting and well, it didn't need much more than that, it was a small wedding. Still, he wanted it all done and not have to worry about yet another mission or whatever other trouble they were going to get pulled into. The human needed rest and food. Mundane stuff to recover from it all and frankly, so did Derek. Not because he physically needed to heal but a few days without having to fight to survive would be good, would be the best even.<br/><br/>With a soft smile he pulled the exhausted Spark up. "Let's go get our daughter, pick up food from the drive-through, and watch a movie when Beth is sleeping. In a couple of days we'll visit Deaton to get some more answers."</p>
<p>Stiles had a job to return to and sure, the hours were flexible with how Stiles was contracted but the deputies were already side-eyeing the young Stilinski for favoritism, they shouldn't add more fuel to the fire.<br/><br/>"Let's go home. It's done."</p>
<p>For now. For now they could stop worrying about getting killed. They had at least a few months to prove themselves.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Once they got home after the suspenseful meeting near the Nemeton, there were some things on Stiles' mind they still had to talk about. He waited until they ate dinner and were snuggled up in bed, Beth already asleep upstairs with Little Red and Fenrir guarding her dreams.<br/><br/>"Soooo... you know you owe me an answer to who that mole is..." Stiles cut to the chase, suspecting that Derek knew this question was coming. It was also an important thing for both of them to know because clearly that someone was reporting back to the Druid Council about them. And not just what they were doing, but also very personal information that could be used against them. Like Zepar did to rile both of them up.<br/><br/>They didn't need more challengers in Beacon Hills and if this information spreads around, that's exactly what would happen. Some might come for territory, thinking that Derek is weak. Some to see and maybe try to steal the powerful resident Spark from him. Or do both. They had to prepare for such future scenarios too, just in case. Next to getting ready for their upcoming wedding and honeymoon and life together after those.</p>
<p>Derek had hoped for them to have a few days at least before that question would come, but he didn't blame Stiles for asking now. It was important information to know, despite the unpleasantness that came with it. Not the kind of talk to be had in the sanctuary of their bedroom but in case a certain toddler was still awake, she couldn't hear them from where they were now.<br/><br/>"Marin Morrell. She's the only one I ever told about Kate. It came up in therapy. Not a group session." He didn't think she would tell others outside of the Council but it was hard to say, he didn't think she would jeopardize her own job for the druids either. Breaking confidentiality like that, she shouldn't be allowed to have her license. And it was possible the Council might let it slip to other alphas if they thought another lesson was to be learned or for whatever reason. They'd think him weak, and they would find out he wasn't.<br/><br/>"I'm not weak. What happened... It happened and I didn't want anybody to know."</p>
<p>Stiles immediately felt his anger and magic starting to stir deep down from hearing that name. A lot more made sense to him as his brain quickly started connecting the dots. What looked just strange behavior in the past now began giving out the bigger picture here.<br/><br/>"That bitch... I want to destroy her. Right now," Stiles bit out but held onto Derek a bit tighter and focused on his breathing and calming down. "Now I get it..." he continued after a good minute of just breathing and controlling himself until he didn't feel like jumping out of bed and hunting down the sneaky druid – and Kate Argent for good measure. "Why she was so very interested in me and us. She was reporting back to the Council. Maybe to get a few good points after her stunt with the alpha pack. Or fuck knows with that creepy woman..." Stiles huffed with a frown. "No wonder my instincts always warned me about her and her unhealthy obsession with me being a Spark," he grumbled then sighed and looked at Derek, stroking his stubbly cheek, his voice becoming softer.<br/><br/>"I'm sorry that she'd betrayed you like that. Do you want to retaliate? Like... get her fired and banned from practicing? Although proving it might be tricky given the fact to whom she gave out information about you..."</p>
<p>"I was thinking of asking Deaton. He knows somebody in Eichen House and let them handle it internally," Derek sighed. He didn't want to do it with big gestures, he didn't want to confront her and deal with her. Killing her, harming her, that wasn't what they did so getting her fired would have to be enough. And it was important. Not even to the wolf himself, because he was used to having his trust shattered over and over. "A therapist you should be able to trust, but she betrayed that so she needs to be stopped. For others like me."<br/><br/>It was all he was willing to deal with. She would be wise to run the hell out of town when she knew her cover was broken. She wouldn't want to run into either one of them, especially Stiles who had less control and could get very emotional easily. Honestly, if that happened, Derek wasn't even sure if he wanted to stop his mate from extracting some revenge.<br/><br/>"She betrayed all of us, after all. Including her brother, Deaton."</p>
<p>She is good at that when it serves her. In this she's a lot like Peter," Stiles snorted, still slowly caressing Derek's face. Both to make him feel cared for and to keep himself calm. "I agree with getting her fired. She'd deserve more but it's more about protecting her other patients," the Spark nodded in agreement. "And if I ever see her again around here, I'll chase her skinny ass out of town for sure." It was a promise. "She'd made enough mess in Beacon Hills. I'll tell Deaton to let her know that she wore out her welcome and should skip town. Otherwise she'll know the real anger of a Spark from close. I'm done with her plots and machinations."<br/><br/>For a long moment Stiles hesitated about the other topic, knowing that it wasn't easy for Derek to open up about that. Even to him.<br/><br/>"You know you're not weak. You're the strongest man I've ever known. For many reasons," he murmured even softer than before. "And you know I'm here to listen if you want to talk about that other bitch I want to skin alive..."</p>
<p>"Marin'll have to deal with us both if she returns," Derek amended because this was their town and it was their job to protect it, even from ones such as Morrell whose loyalties were continuing to shift to whoever she thought would serve her best. She was uncomfortably like Peter, good thing the two probably never met. That would have caused some problems, no, more problems.<br/><br/>It seemed that the topic was done with that, Stiles content with caressing Derek's face to calm the both of them though it was a false sense of comfort, in a way. The younger man carefully broached the topic of Kate, the reason how they knew Morrell was the mole in the first place. It made Derek tense up, even though it was only the offer for him to be able to talk about it if he wanted to.</p>
<p>"There's nothing to talk about. I was bound and recovering from the wolfsbane bullet she had shot in me, she had berserkers. I didn't stand a chance. It happened and there was nothing I could have done. I don't blame myself."<br/><br/>It had been easier to pretend it hadn't happened once he had recovered his memories since it had been weeks by then. He hadn't looked back. Nobody had known, she hadn't mentioned it either. It had been yet another secret between them, one he was fine with if it was never uncovered. "I think she only did it because she could," Derek looked away from Stiles.</p>
<p>"You're right not to blame yourself. It wasn't your fault," Stiles hurried to reassure Derek, making sure that the wolf felt that he wasn't angry or disappointed about this. There was only understanding and support. Aside from the deep hatred he was feeling for Kate Argent for exploiting Derek again. It was always wrong to force oneself on someone. And to do it again years later when she had already left deep scars in Derek... it made Stiles want to slowly kill that woman so much more.<br/><br/>But his man needed his support now. To feel that he was there for him, that he was someone he can talk about this any time he feels like it.<br/><br/>"I agree. She's a psycho who does whatever pleases her. But whatever she did to you, I hope you know that it doesn't change anything between us. I love you the same and hate her even more. But..." Stiles gently turned Derek's head towards him, waiting until their eyes finally met "I also want you to know that I'm here for you to help in any way I can about this too. If you want to talk about it or a shoulder to cry on or just to hug it out. Whatever works for you, okay? I love you, Derek Hale. You're the love of my life and nothing will ever change that."</p>
<p>Stiles spoke no lies, nothing about what he said wasn't true, but Derek still had trouble understanding that it was true, because it felt like it shouldn't... couldn't be this easy. Of course Derek didn't feel like going into detail, he doubted the other was expecting him to, because Stiles knew him well. The Hale didn't go into details and there was no need to, it was easy to guess as to what she did. The same she had done when he had been a teen and thought she loved him. A body couldn't help the way it reacted to stimulation, even when trussed up like a bound turkey with a monstrous berserker breathing harshly through the mask. It had been little more than an alive statue.<br/><br/>"Stiles, each time I flinch away from you, or when there's a bad day, when I don't want sex because of memories, you're going to wonder if it is because of her. You're going to see behavioral patterns, you're going to connect dots to my past behavior, you're going to see what I tried so hard to keep hidden. This changes a lot between us." No, he didn't doubt that the love was still there, he didn't doubt that Stiles would always be there for him if he felt like talking, when there was a bad dream or memory. That wouldn't change between them, Derek just knew though that Stiles in some ways, would look at him differently.<br/><br/>Like the pack did when they found out about Kate and Derek and the house fire. When they found out how old Derek had been when they met. Scott and Chris had that look, the one that said they didn't pity him but they felt for him. Like he had needed protecting. Peter had known, one look at the way Derek behaved, the loss of his powers, the way Derek kept saying she had taken something from him, Peter had known. It was the reason why when it was all over, the beta had skipped town with Braeden.<br/><br/>"It was easier when you didn't know Jennifer used her magic on me, when you happily blamed having psycho girlfriends on me. When that part of me that was taken by them wasn't bared for you to see."</p>
<p>For a long moment while Stiles was thinking, he just looked at Derek just as openly and lightly shook his head. "No. It might have been easier for you back then to hide these things from me. But since then we've been together, we are engaged and about to get married. So it's good that these things came to light. We can't build our future life together onto secrets." The human's thumb stroked Derek's cheek as he sighed shortly.<br/><br/>"You might be right about knowing this changing things a little bit between us. But just a little and just for a while until we both get used to the fact that this is not a secret anymore. But although I'm not trying to lessen the impact or importance of this, we have so much more together than to let this come between us. Don't you see? This will never define us. And with time I hope it'll get easier for you to process this trauma too and maybe one day feel like you got through it."<br/><br/>It was clear that Stiles was struggling, trying to come up and say things that would make Derek understand that he didn't see him as a victim or damaged goods. Derek was his whole world. "With all your faults and imperfections and past traumas, you are the only man I accept and love and want. No one else."</p>
<p>There was a deep sigh from Derek echoing the one from Stiles, because yes, starting their life together with secrets wasn't good. This probably would have been mentioned at some point as well. However the way it was outed now, it hadn't been the right way, it hadn't been on Derek’s terms. It made it different, maybe even seem worse because of its hidden nature.<br/><br/>Looking into the concerned eyes of the Spark, the wolf shook his head and leaned in to kiss his mate's lips. "I've processed it, it was years ago. I mean… I love our sex together, and I enjoy it more than I have done before. You don't remind me of her, nothing we do together reminds me of her." It wasn't why he had kept it hidden even now, after all those years. No, it had been more of how society treated males like him, which was exactly why Zepar had used it against him.<br/><br/>"You know how men are seen if it gets out they were forced into sex, especially now that I'm an alpha again. How others look at it. I didn't want that to happen, because I fought hard to be who I am. And Kate wasn't going to ruin it."<br/><br/>A gentle pause.<br/><br/>"Not you. I know you still want me. I know you're okay with it. Because you already see my memories from Hell so... I have no shame with you."</p>
<p>"And you don't have to feel ashamed with me. Ever," Stiles agreed with a small smile, kissing Derek back softly. He was also very happy that nothing of him reminded Derek of that sick bitch. He's been working hard on that and paid attention to the details and triggers. For example, that's why he never said the word 'sweetie' around Derek. Not even to their daughter. The same went for avoiding calling Derek his 'pet' when they were playing in bed. That was because of Lucifer, of course.<br/><br/>Having some of his own, Stiles took triggers and trauma and dealing with those seriously. Derek knew that. It would be just nice for a change for a break in those things for both of them. To just enjoy each other's company without problems or fights. Even so, Stiles was glad that they finally talked about this, that Derek – although the circumstances weren't ideal – shared this burden with him.<br/><br/>"From now on you aren't going to be alone carrying this. And I'm happy to help my mate. Always," he hugged Derek tighter.</p>
<p>It wasn't going to be okay. Derek knew that processing it, getting past it didn't mean he'd ever forget it happened. But it wasn't something that was going to cripple him, same as what happened to his family. That was in the past, there was nothing he could do now to change that and that deep guilt had been something he had let go of even before he had left Beacon Hills with Braeden. Kate had taken many things from him, and he had built that all up again. Stiles, unknowingly, had helped with that too.<br/><br/>"Maybe someday I'll want to talk about it but there's so much we have to unpack still that I'm fine with how it is right now." Sometimes it was better to let some things go, leave them be for the time being. At least Stiles understood that since he had his fair share of skeletons in his closet too, traumas he was still working on and sometimes managed better than other times.<br/><br/>Sliding his arm around Stiles' waist, he pressed him close to inhale his scent. "It's just another thing in the long line of things. And I don't want to think about it anymore."</p>
<p>Respecting Derek's decision and not pushing more at this time, Stiles nodded against Derek's neck in agreement, inhaling him just as deeply as his wolf did, his hand now caressing Derek's back as they were lying there on their sides.<br/><br/>"Alright, my love. I understand. It's time to turn our minds towards less dark and stressful times. Like organizing a wedding and a honeymoon," he murmured into Derek's neck, staying right where he was and letting Derek loosen the hug if he wanted or when he was ready. "Our future together now that we have one thing less to stress over. But before everything, we first deserve some much needed sleep. Everything else can come afterwards..."</p>
<p>"Cake eating the day after tomorrow for one thing." Something to look forward to since Stiles loved cake so much that he wouldn't mind surviving on only that, probably. Derek was more into pie but not even he would deny that there was something about getting to taste their wedding cake and talk design with the shop they had settled on. Their wedding deserved their full attention, the rest was going to have to wait.<br/><br/>It’s been some exhausting days. Stiles had used up a lot of his magic and despite all the time they had spent on healing, sleep wasn't a luxury, it was a need still. "Get some sleep. You know Beth will be diving into our bed early in the morning again for some cuddles." Which would be followed by a big dog and then a grumpy cat wanting food since everybody was up anyways.<br/><br/>"We won, it's over." Hiding his face a little more, not planning on letting up with the hug anytime soon, Derek pressed a kiss against the skin. "Thank you."</p>
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